Running Away To Something Good
by Gracie94
Summary: Blair has spent years being beaten beaten abused, yet finally escapes to New York. Chuck, Nate and Dan take her in and help her rediscover friendship and maybe even love. Yet as Chuck and Blair become closer, her past comes back to haunt her...review pls
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Everything Blair had gone through had led her to this moment: escape. A tumultuous, devastating childhood followed by an adolescence full of abuse had not been enough to destroy Blair. She was a Waldorf, after all, and Waldorf women were strong to the core. The Waldorf family were old money through and through, well known within the highest echelons of London society. However, when Blair was merely 11 years old, her beloved father was murdered. After that Blair and her mother disappeared from London's social scene. They were never seen or heard from. As it turned out, Blair's mother Eleanor had taken a fancy to alcohol, drugs and thuggish men. In her desperate attempts to drown her grief, Eleanor led herself and her daughter into the home of a 30 year old drug dealer by the name of Aaron. Any outsider would think that Aaron was a normal guy; his natural good looks and charm warded off any unwanted suspicion. However in a domestic environment Aaron was as ugly as can be. He was jealous of Eleanor's deceased husband, and the fact that he still had a power over her even from the grave. So he took his jealousy and channelled it through his fists, again and again. Blair was neglected and forced to fend for herself. She went to school yet remained under the radar; she stole food when the house was running low on supplies. Although a quiet, reserved child surrounded by abuse, Blair was undoubtedly a beauty. Eleanor's relationship with Aaron lasted three years, during which Blair blossomed into a beautiful teenager with dark, flowing locks and bright brown eyes. However, Eleanor's downhill spiral continued. After three years of constantly over-using alcohol and cocaine, and having been beaten beyond belief, Eleanor's body finally let her down. And Blair lost another parent.

Although only fourteen years old, Blair was wise and mature beyond her years. She was incredibly intelligent, so much so that the absence of friends was replaced by Hemingway and Austen. Her future was undetermined, yet Blair knew that she wanted to escape Aaron at all costs. Yet in a tragic turn of events, Blair found herself in the legal custody of Aaron. Her late mother, probably under threat from Aaron, had demanded terms in her will that Blair should be left to Aaron. Aaron had no trouble with pulling Blair out of school and relocating them from all she had ever known. He took her to the countryside where no one knew them. He was able to remain in the drugs trade, through deliveries and occasional trips to the city. Blair, however, found herself a prisoner in his domain. Aaron made no secret of his desire for Blair - he would taunt her with the idea that her mother's death was brought about by fate so that they could be together. Blair was outspoken though, and shouted and screamed at him that he was sick, disgusting, repugnant. Well, as you can imagine, Aaron didn't take too kindly to these insults. He kicked her, pulled her hair, hit her repeatedly. As this continued, Blair's outspoken, strong-willed nature was eventually silenced. At sixteen, she was a shell of her former self. Upon her birthday, Aaron declared that their relationship could now progress as she was of legal age. So he raped her. And Blair, after so many years of abuse, knew that any efforts to stop him were useless. She would whisper to him, 'Please, no', yet that was no deterrent. And so it continued, again and again. A vicious cycle of violence and abuse which encircled her, enclosing her completely. Aaron was in love with her, the beautiful young girl who was entirely his. And Blair was repulsed by him, and dreamed of the day she could escape him.

When Blair was nearing her eighteenth birthday, Aaron decided that he wanted to tie himself to Blair in every way humanly possible. He was jealous and possessive, and hated the idea that Blair could ever be with another man. So he proposed. Blair, who normally remained silent in his presence, began to weep. He deluded himself into thinking they were tears of joy, and placed a ring on her finger. He told her that he had to drive to the city that night, but that he would back for her and they would be married soon enough. And Blair took this as her chance. She knew that it was time to run, before she was doomed to become his forever. Aaron had locked every door and window in the house as per usual, so Blair broke a first floor window and ran. She had packed the necessities: clothes, her books and her father's old camera, leaving behind only the ring. And she never looked back.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Blair knew that she didn't have long until he found her, and that her only option was to leave the country. Unknown to Aaron, Eleanor had once given Blair details to a bank account which belonged solely to her, with her rightful inheritance. She had bestowed it to Blair in one of her lucid moments, obviously foreseeing the need for it. So with the help of this account, Blair found herself on the first flight to New York, the city of dreams. It wasn't until she was in a taxi on the other side of the pond that her actions fully hit her. Looking at her now empty ring finger, she realised just how close she had been to being enslaved to that monster forever. Pure adrenaline had fuelled her on her way to New York. Now that reality was sinking in, Blair realised that she had no idea what to do. She was nearly eighteen years old, in an unknown city with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. She had never felt more alone in her entire life. Blair had witnessed her mother dull her pain with alcohol in the past, and figured that at that moment in time she _really_ needed a drink. So she instructed the cab driver to drop her off at the nearest bar. Although not legal to drink in England and not even close in America, Blair's natural beauty helped to charm the bartender into handing her a free gin and tonic. Blair found a secluded corner booth and sank into the cold leather, dumping her bags beside her. Looking around, Blair couldn't help but like the place. Dim fairy lights hung everywhere with old black and white photos giving a rustic feeling to the bar. As Blair sat pondering her next move, a group of young New Yorkers descended upon the bar. Three handsome young men greeted the bartender as if he were a lifelong friend. This was surprising, as the Brooklyn bar did not normally house Upper East Siders. These three young men were Dan Humphrey, Nate Archibald and Chuck Bass. The nineteen year olds had been best friends since their school days, and inseparable ever since they met. They used the quaint bar as an escape from the expectations of elite New York society. However, even in Brooklyn their stature was infamous. So it came as a surprise to them when they found that their usual corner booth was taken.

"Excuse me, miss?" Nate asked, ever the gentleman. The young woman looked up and Chuck was struck by her innocent beauty. She was fresh and doe-eyed, and he was astounded by how much power she had over him at one look. He hoped she didn't notice his reaction to her as he regained his composure. And he almost got away with it, until he noticed Dan smirking at him from the corner of his eye.

"Can I help you?" Blair replied, calm and collected and wondering how she had already attracted trouble.

"Sorry, it's just that this is our usual table and most people around here know that." Dan replied. It was lucky that they were talking, as Chuck didn't think that he could string a legitimate sentence together.

"Oh well, in case the accent didn't tip you off, I'm not from around here. And in case you hadn't noticed, this bar is empty of people but full of tables." she quipped, clearly not impressed by these three strangers. By this time, the bartender, Joe, had come over to the table.

"I'm so sorry miss, I hope that these three aren't bothering you…" he said, turning to glare at the three young men who were usually his favourite customers.

"No not at all, they actually just offered to buy me lunch" she responded sweetly, prompting Joe to leave and sort out a meal for her.

"Well I guess we deserve that" Nate chuckled. "Sorry, I guess we were being rude before. Mind if we sit?"

"I guess not" Blair said, moving her bags. Nate, Dan and Chuck slid into the booth so that Dan was beside Blair, and Chuck was directly opposite. He was struggling to keep his eyes off her.

"Well I'm Dan, and these two idiots are my buddies Nate and Chuck." Dan said, pointing out each one.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Blair" she replied, nodding her head and smiling at each of them. However, Chuck noticed that her smile didn't entirely reach her eyes. There was something wary in them, as if she didn't quite trust them. Having finally found his voice, Chuck said "And what brings you to New York? Tourists don't normally start their tour of the big city alone in a bar in Brooklyn…" He trailed off, curious to find out more about this girl yet afraid of appearing too keen. He had a reputation to maintain, after all, as New York's billionaire bad boy bachelor.

"I just moved here. It was actually incredibly stupid and impulsive, I haven't really figured out my next move. I'm actually contemplating just getting the next flight back to London."

"What? You can't do that. We can help you out, where are you staying?" Dan chimed.

"Ha…well…I don't actually have a place to stay. Hence the willingness to go back to London." The guys where shocked, for a moment. She had seemed so put together, yet now appeared helpless.

"No, don't do that. I have a feeling you'd do great here. I don't know if you know this, but I just so happen to be kind of rich. I also happen to live in a penthouse apartment with these two that actually has a spare room." Chuck offered, willing to be her saviour. However, her expression was sceptical.

"Do you usually meet random Englishwomen in bars and ask them to live with you?" she asked, her tone slightly amused.

"Well to be honest we've been looking for a new roommate for a while, and it seems like you'd fit in well with us. You don't have to pay rent, it's a great location, the only problem is at the moment that we live on take-out…so if you can cook, we'd love to have you". Chuck and Dan laughed at their friend, while Blair looked at the three of them. She couldn't help but feel comfortable in their presence; it had been so long since anyone had done anything kind to or for her. Yet she was still uneasy, her last experience at living with a man had been a horror story which she did not want to be repeated. Nate and Dan had started talking about the perks of living in New York while Blair sat silently. Chuck sensed that she was assessing them, weighing up her options. It was amazing the pull he felt towards her, how captivated he was by this teenager who he barely knew. Yet he felt an urge to help her.

"Come on Blair. Let us help you out". Blair looked up at Chuck's gaze and was floored by the genuine concern and sincerity she saw in it. They barely knew each other yet she could tell that she could trust him. Dan and Nate looked between them, and the electricity in the air was palpable.

"Ok, I'll come live with you guys as long as you're sure I won't be imposing."

"No we'd love to have you" Nate replied adamantly. "Can you cook?"

"Yes I can cook, I've been cooking since I was eleven" Blair said, her expression suddenly becoming vacant as her mind took her to a former time. In her time with Aaron, however, Blair had become masterful at masking her true emotions. Each look of fear and repulsion had earned her an extra hit, so in time Blair had learnt how to keep all thoughts and emotions hidden, buried deep down. She used this skill now, quickly replacing the sad look with a bright smile to her new friends. However, Chuck had caught it for the briefest of moments, and suspected there was more to Blair than met the eye.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The ride to the penthouse was silent. Blair marvelled at the luxury of Chuck's limo as she tried to repress memories of a happier time when she was surrounded by such luxury. She distracted herself by peering out of her window and catching glimpses of the Empire State Building. As she did this, Chuck watched her, trying to figure out what could drive a girl like Blair away from everything she knew.

"Blair?" Dan's voice rang out, breaking her from her reverie. "We're here. Welcome home." Chuck opened the door of the limo for her and Blair looked up, struck by the height of the building in front of her. As she followed the boys into the reception she noticed the elite air of the clientelle and the majesty of the decoration. And the penthouse was no exception. The living area was flooded with afternoon light due to the floor to ceiling glass windows. She appreciated the open design of the apartment, with tasteful furniture and colour scheme. Her eyes were drawn to the large bookcase in the corner where she could already picture her collection sitting nicely. She cast her gaze to another corner where a beautiful grand piano sat. She hadn't been able to play the piano since her youth. Her mother couldn't bare to hear her play as it reminded her too much of her father. Blair tried to play whenever she could at school, but when Aaron had taken her to the countryside, she no longer had the chance. She turned when she heard footsteps nearing.

"Hey, I saw you admiring the bookcase. You a fan of reading?" Dan asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I brought my favourites with me so I hope there's space for them" Blair joked, looking at the sparse amount occupying the shelves.

"Haha yeaah, the other two aren't big on reading. I keep most of my books in my room, but my favourites are on the shelves there. I'm hoping one day that one of them will be tempted and discover the wonders of being literate." Blair laughed at this. Dan was easy going and clearly intelligent, and she could tell that they would get along. They walked into the kitchen where Nate was having coffee whilst Chuck was on the phone.

"Who's he talking to?"

"Oh it's the office, he's just telling them that he's taking the weekend off" replied Nate.

"What does Chuck do?" Blair inquired. Although all the men were well dressed, Chuck wore a sharp suit which emanated power. Blair could tell that whatever he did, he obviously did it well.

"Chuck's dad died a few years back, and on his eighteenth birthday Chuck inherited the whole company. Bass Industries is huge, they own quite literally most of Manhattan. This building belongs to Chuck, that's why you don't need to pay rent. We try to chip in but he won't hear it. I didn't think the company could get any bigger, but Chuck has a natural flair for business. The dude's a genius!" Nate gushed.

"Well thank you Nathaniel, I'm flattered" Chuck smirked, although Blair picked up on a hint of pride behind the arrogant façade.

"Nate does have a point man, you can't be as rich as you without having some kind of skill" Dan added.

"You forget friends, my charm and chiselled good looks come into play occasionally." The men laughed while Blair smiled, looking around at her new roommates. She knew that she could definitely get used to this.

"I bet that winning modesty gets you far too" Blair deadpanned.

"Oh it does, I assure you." Chuck winked at her, and Blair felt herself swoon. She could see that he had a definite point. Yet she'd be damned if she let it show. Her poker face remained firmly in place.

"So how old are you guys? It would be kind of creepy if I'm living with a bunch of old guys…"

"Well lucky for you we're all barely nineteen. I'm the oldest," Nate stated proudly "Dan's in the middle, and Chuck's the baby". They all laughed at that except Chuck, who was keen to divert the attention from himself onto Blair, who he was becoming increasingly fascinated by.

"And you Blair? Don't tell me you're younger than I think you are, otherwise you living here is probably illegal…"

"No need to worry, I'm eighteen next week." Dan and Nate easily accepted this fact, while Chuck was confused.

"Wait, you're saying that your eighteenth birthday is next week, but you just moved away from all your family and friends, without a game plan. Which I'm guessing means that they don't know you're here. Tell me honestly, did you run away? Because if we need to be expecting angry parents, I think we should know in advance."

"Trust me, that won't be a problem. You know what, I'm, er, pretty tired from the flight, so I think I'll just, umm, set up my room and hit the sack. Night guys." And with that Blair fled from the room. Chuck sank into a chair, upset that he had caused her to leave. Nate and Dan looked at him expectantly.

"What? It's not like I was telling her to go back to her parents, I just wanted to know what would make her leave. She doesn't seem like the type to scare easy."

"Well, obviously something's happened to her, but we only just met her. What did you expect? That we'd braid each other's hair and spill out all our secrets on the first night? She needs to know that she can trust us. If and when she's ready to tell us what happened, then that's that." For someone occasionally so blonde, Nate was deceptively perceptive.

"I agree with Nate. You can see in her eyes that she's not ok, but I think we can really help her. I don't know about you guys, but something about her being here feels right, ya know? She just fits with us." Dan's words echoed what all of them had been feeling.

"I know that we barely know her, but I feel like she's different to anyone I've ever met. She's special." Chuck stared at his hands for a moment, before looking up to see his two best friends smirking at him. "Oh come on, it's not like I've got feelings for her! I'm just saying, she's special."

"Yeah, you're not fooling anyone man. We've seen the way you look at her. You've got it bad." Nate laughed, whilst Chuck glared at the two.

"You guys are assholes, you know that?" He stalked out, leaving Nate and Dan laughing at his childish antics.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all the reviews, I really appreciate it!**

Chapter 4

Blair regretted the way she had run away from her roommates. Now she was sure they would know something was wrong. As much as Blair liked and trusted her three new friends, she didn't think she would ever be ready to fully let them in. Settling in wouldn't be hard though, she thought as she looked around her new room. It was almost as if it had been made for her: it matched her tastes perfectly. Black and white photographs of world landmarks hung on the wall, with monochrome being the theme of the whole room. However there were splashes of red dotted around the place, giving it colour and life. Her ensuite bathroom was tiled and clean, yet what captured her attention was the walk in wardrobe opposite her spacious bed. As the doors opened lights lit the shelving, and she realised that she would need to spend some of her inheritance in order to fit look the part for her surroundings. She unpacked her few belongings, showered and plopped on the bed, enjoying the way the satin duvet rippled beneath her. It had been no lie that Blair was exhausted, physically and emotionally. As soon as her head hit the pillow, her eyes closed, and comforting images of her new life enveloped her.

Chuck had paced his room for a while, debating whether or not he should see Blair. It was clear that she needed some space, yet the urge to see her eventually overpowered his conscience. He crept into the room, not wanting to surprise her yet unprepared for what he saw. Chuck didn't know how long he stood watching her sleep peacefully. Her chocolate curls were splayed on the pillow as her petite body was curled in on itself. Her lips were slightly parted and her cheeks still held a patch of rosy pink. Chuck didn't think he had ever seen anything so beautiful or delicate. Shaking himself, he looked around to ensure she had everything he needed. She seemed to have settled in well, but he couldn't help but notice how few things she had - even her collection of clothes seemed meagre. It led him to think that wherever she had been, she had obviously left in a hurry. He quickly sped out of the room when he heard Blair stir, afraid that she would catch him staring. "Shit" he thought, "I'm really gonna fall for her". As he crept across the living room, a cough stopped him in his tracks. He turned with eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights. There sat Dan, Nate and his step-sister Serena. And all of them were looking at him with amusement in their eyes and knowing, smug smirks painted on their faces.

"Sis, I had no idea you were here" he said casually as he went to kiss his sibling on the cheek. Although they were only siblings through marriage and not blood related, Chuck and Serena cared deeply for each other and were a true family.

"Nate asked me to come over, told me you guys found a new roommate. I was just hearing all about her, and the guys told me you might have a little crush…looks like they finally got something right for once!" She giggled at the looks of outrage on Dan and Nate's faces.

"I'll have you know, Serena, that I was merely checking to see if she needed anything. And she's sleeping, so, that's that. And I do not have a crush. Chuck Bass does not _do_ crushes."

"Ah I see. Of course, I forget you're the infamous Chuck Bass. You may not do crushes, but by the look on your face you clearly do lovesick." That shut Chuck up. He knew there was no denying it at this point.

"So I find her intriguing. So what? Is there a reason you brought her round Nate? She would have met Blair at brunch on Sunday anyway." Chuck said, becoming irritated at how obvious his reaction to Blair was.

"Nate and I thought it might be nice for Blair and Serena to meet, so that she doesn't feel too overwhelmed by testosterone. Plus we're all at work tomorrow, so we thought Serena could show Blair around" Dan said, logical as ever.

"Oh, well maybe you could take her shopping S. She didn't bring much with her and it would be a good way for you guys to bond." Serena looked around curiously as the guys suddenly became quiet and looked down, consciously avoiding her gaze.

"What aren't you telling me?" she asked curiously.

"This is just speculation, but we have a feeling she ran away from London. She brought barely anything with her and she didn't have a plan for when she got here. We just don't know why" Dan replied quietly, each of them lost in thought.

"That's so sad. Well, I guess it's our job to make her feel at home" Serena said brightly, genuinely concerned for this girl she hadn't even met.

"Glad you're on board" smiled Nate, gazing adoringly at his girlfriend.

"Me too. I'll stay here tonight so that I can spend the whole day with Blair." Chuck could already tell that Blair and Serena would be great friends. They would balance each other perfectly: Serena, tall, tanned and blonde with Blair who was petite and brunette; Serena was bubbly and outgoing whereas Blair seemed shy and reserved.

"Right well I'm heading to bed now. See you all in the morning" Dan said, hugging each of his friends before walking down the corridor to his room. Serena and Nate went to Nate's room and Chuck retired to his own, excited at the prospect of discovering more about Blair.

The first thing that Blair noticed when she woke up was how well rested she felt. That was the first time she had slept through the night without fear of Aaron in many, many years. When she was in captivity with Aaron, Blair was forced to sleep on the cold floor of the cellar, locked in the dark. Aaron would use her for sex and then discard her when she no longer served a purpose. He wanted to wait until they were married until they shared a bed. The mere thought of him caused Blair's stomach to turn, and she bolted to the bathroom where she released the contents of her flat stomach into the toilet. Although repulsed by it, Blair couldn't help but feel relieved. It almost felt like Aaron had been erased from her system as she flushed the contents of her stomach down the toilet. After freshening up, Blair grabbed a jumper to pull over her pyjamas and went in search of food. She entered the kitchen and smiled at what she saw. Chuck was sitting at the table with a newspaper spread out before him. His forehead was scrunched in concentration as he scanned the business section with an intense gaze. His formerly neat hair stuck up in places, ruffled in a way that no amount of product could produce. Blair couldn't help but think that he was even more devastatingly handsome in this state than he was in his put together look of the day before. When she walked forward, Chuck startled and raised his head to see who had joined him. Their eyes met; dark brown locked with warm hazel. It took a moment before Blair turned away to hide her flushed cheeks, though neither had been willing to look away.

"Well, good morning" Chuck drawled in a calm manner. "How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby. That bed was amazing, I haven't slept that well in a while" Blair replied, surprised at her honesty. She would have to be careful around Chuck, she realised. Obviously his effect on her would make her prone to slip up and reveal too much.

"Oh? Why's that?" Chuck asked, desperately trying to appear casual by perusing the newspaper yet genuinely concerned about Blair.

"Not all of us are billionaires who can afford the most comfortable beds in the world. Us mere commoners have to make do with average mattresses" Blair responded, hoping this was enough to satisfy him. Chuck looked up and smiled.

"Money is nothing if you have no one to share it with. I'm glad I can help you, Blair" he said, his look innocent and honest. Blair nodded, not wanting to reply in case her voice betrayed just how affected she was by his kindness. Instead she went to the fridge to pour herself some juice. Chuck took this opportunity to look over her. She looked beautiful in the morning, with her hair gently tousled yet still perfect. She wore a slouchy jumper which, although hiding her elegant figure, suited her well. Under it were a pair of shorts which Chuck thought made her look effortlessly sexy, as they showed off toned legs which seemed never ending. Luckily for Chuck, Nate and Serena walked in then, giving him the chance to stop drooling over Blair. "Snap out of it man" he thought to himself. Blair looked around, startled by the presence of the blonde bombshell that was Chuck's sister.

"Oh Blair, hi!" squealed Serena, immediately running to hug Blair. Blair stiffened at the contact, for a brief moment scared yet then remembering that no one there would hurt her. Her momentary hesitation went unnoticed by Serena, however Chuck saw everything.

"Erm, hi. I'm sorry, should I know you?" Blair questioned, glancing around at an amused Nate.

"I'm sorry Blair, my girlfriend must have forgotten her manners. Serena van der Woodsen, meet Blair…shit, I don't even know your last name?" Nate exclaimed. The girls laughed, while Chuck merely watched.

"It's Blair Waldorf, nice to meet you." Blair smiled, and this time it reached her eyes.

"Great. Sorry, I was just really excited to meet you. I'm Chuck's sister."

"Really?" Blair looked between the two, from the dark, mysterious Chuck to the bright, blue-eyed Serena. "You guys don't really look alike."

"Well, technically Chuck's my step-brother, but we're brother and sister really." Blair looked to Chuck who looked at Serena with love in his eyes, though he tried to hide it.

"I was thinking that while the boys are at work I could show you around Manhattan. I know some great stores, and with your figure, I'm sure we'll have a field day finding you new clothes!" Serena bubbled, already mentally mapping out their assault on 5th Avenue.

"And don't worry about money or anything Blair, this is my treat" Chuck stated, handing out his credit card. Blair looked at it cautiously for a moment, before looking back up at him.

"Don't worry about it, I've got enough money with me. But thank you Chuck." The sound of his name on her lips distracted him for a moment, but not long enough to realise that she probably had no money and was only saying that to seem less of a burden.

"Blair, come on. You mean to tell me that you brought barely any clothes or possessions with you yet you have enough money to go shopping on the Upper East Side?" he asked, his voice laced with scepticism. Her response surprised him.

"Yes, I do." And with that, Serena dragged her off to discuss their plans for the day. Chuck and Nate looked at each other, and quickly filled Dan in when he arrived. They all agreed that something didn't add up. Chuck whipped out his phone and pressed speed dial. "Mike, I need you to find everything you can on Blair Waldorf from London. By the end of today."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As soon as Blair and Serena stepped out of the apartment building, Blair sensed that it was the beginning of a beautiful, firm friendship. The two chatted easily and felt comfortable in each other's company. Blair found it was incredibly easy to talk to Serena, and enjoyed learning about her life on the Upper East Side. In only a few hours, Blair had been informed all about Serena's troubled youth and the scandals which seemed to follow her. But Blair also learned about how Serena, with the help of her friends, had redeemed herself and now had led a fulfilled life with stable family relationships. Serena had no qualms about sharing her life story with Blair, as she knew that the girl would not judge her. They just clicked. As they wondered from store to store, both girls picked up wonderful clothes and expensive jewels. But Blair couldn't help but notice that girls seemed to tag behind Serena, taking pictures of her every move.

"Er, Serena? I don't know if you'd noticed, but that group of tweens followed us all the way from Barneys, and they keep taking pictures of you. Are you a celebrity or something?" Blair half-joked, knowing that Serena must hold at least an amateur celebrity status in order to gather such a following.

"No, they're just sending pictures to Gossip Girl. It's this blog website all about gossip, but you probably guessed that from the name" was Serena's nonchalant reply.

"But why is it that they seem fixated on you?"

"Well, my Mum may have been married about ten times, but she has amassed a lot of money in that time. The van der Woodsen name is Upper East Side royalty. Being sister to a Bass adds to that as well. We're kind of the elite." Serena was obviously used to the attention, but Blair couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. She was worried that if images of her were put on some website, it would make it that much easier for Aaron to find her. "I wouldn't worry about it" Serena continued, noticing her friend's discomfort. "Gossip Girl only blogs about people she's followed since high school, or who are from New York. She rarely even blogs about me anymore, just the occasional picture." The girls continued to wander through the store, until Serena stopped at the gown section. "Oooh B, this dress would look fantastic on you. Seriously, you need to try this on. There's a charity gala in a couple of months, and this would be perfect." Without another thought, Serena selected the correct size and threw it into a changing room, along with Blair. Blair looked at the dress admiringly. It was lacy and red, yet respectable. There were long sleeves and the skirt trailed to the floor, with the dress cinching in at the waist. Blair slipped it on and almost didn't recognise the elegant young woman she saw before her. However as she twirled in the dressing room, she realised that she couldn't wear this dress. Although modest at the front, the dress plunged at the back and revealed a lot of skin. This wouldn't have been a problem if Blair's smooth, pale skin wasn't peppered with varying degrees of bruises: yellow, blue and black. Blair looked away from the mirror in disgust, yet couldn't prepare herself for what happened next. Serena declared that Blair must show her the dress, and ripped open the curtain to find herself face to face with a shocked Blair. Serena looked past Blair into the mirror and saw the image of her back, marred by harsh marks. Her sharp intake of breath did not help break the tension between them.

"Blair, I - I mean, what the hell happened?" Serena honestly had no idea what to do, or say. Blair was doing her best to look at anything but Serena.

"It's nothing, really." She tried to brush it off, but Serena wouldn't hear of it.

"Blair, that is not nothing. Tell me what happened to you, please" she pleaded.

"S, please just leave it. I can't tell you." Blair whispered, her eyes filling with tears and shame.

"You know I'm gonna have to tell the guys." Serena whispered also.

"No!" Blair suddenly looked up at Serena. "Please, you can't, they can't know. It's really nothing, ok? Please Serena, I'm begging you." Serena looked into Blair's pleading face and knew that she couldn't betray her. "We'll find another dress and no one will ever know."

"No, we'll get this dress. You look gorgeous, it would be a shame not to."

"Serena, look at me. I couldn't possibly wear this out." Blair replied, wondering if she had overestimated Serena's intelligence.

"By then, the bruises will have disappeared. If not, then closer to the time we'll go out shopping again. Ok?" Without replying, Blair fell into Serena's embrace, only wincing slightly from pain as Serena responded wholeheartedly. They purchased the dress and went out for lunch, the events of earlier almost forgotten. Almost.

The girls went back to the penthouse in time to start preparing dinner for the guys. They laughed together, easily falling into a system. Serena, who was a disastrous cook, would wash dishes whilst Blair prepared the meal. Blair discovered that Nate was an executive at a sport's advertising agency, and that Dan worked in publishing and hoped to publish his own book some day. She also discovered that Serena had had a flirtation with PR before settling on working as a fashion consultant for films and TV programmes. As they were discussing possible job opportunities for Blair, the three men walked through the door.

"Oh my _god,_ what the hell is that smell? It's amazing!" Dan shouted as he rushed in to discover what the source of the heavenly smell was. "Blair, did you make this?"

"No Daniel, all those pots and pans are for show" she responded sarcastically. "Of course I made it!" Dan ran to her and kissed her cheek, thanking God for sending an angel who could cook for them. Nate's reaction to Blair's cooking was similar, as he placed himself in the kitchen to better smell the food. Chuck made his way to the kitchen slowly, trying to remember the last time he had had a home cooked meal. Other than Serena's attempt to make them all dinner once, Chuck didn't think someone other than a Michelin star chef had cooked for him since his childhood. As he leant against the kitchen door frame and watched as Blair shooed the boys away from the food, he realised how very glad he was that she was here. He was still thinking about his unsuccessful search about Blair. His PI could usually find everything about everyone, however his search about Blair was a dead end. It seemed that someone had put a lot of effort into hiding something, and that worried him.

"Well now that Chuck has _finally_ decided to join us, we can dig in!" exclaimed Nate. All of them laughed at that, and they all sat down as Blair handed them their plates.

"As amazing as this looks, I can only eat this if I have your word that Serena has not cooked any of it" Chuck said, dead serious.

"Hey! I know that I messed up that one time, but I'm not that bad!" Serena was indignant, yet all the boys seemed to agree with Chuck. Blair sent a sympathetic glance towards Serena before replying, "No Chuck, this one's all me." Once Blair was sat down, they all ate the delicious meal of curry and rice that Blair had prepared. When they were sure no one could eat anymore more, the boys cleared up while the girls went to the living room. A bottle of wine later, Blair decided that her jet lag was getting the best of her again and she went to her room. Once they heard her bedroom door shut, the boys quickly turned their attention to Serena, willing to discover how her day with Blair had gone. It was evident that the girls were now thick as thieves.

"So sweetie, how was your day?" Nate asked.

"It was great, I literally feel like I've known her my whole life. We got along so well, she's so lovely" Serena gushed, clearly full of admiration and praise for her friend. Yet something in her gaze made Dan and Chuck suspect that she wasn't sharing the whole story.

"Anything we need to know, Serena?" questioned Dan. Serena shifted uncomfortably in her seat, casting her gaze downwards.

"Sis, what did you find out? What happened?" Serena glanced towards Blair's room before leaning forward and lowering her voice.

"Look, I promised Blair that I wouldn't tell you guys anything." Chuck was about to argue before Serena cut him off "Look, I know but she insisted ok? I can't say anything but I will tell you that you need to look after her." Nate decided that he may have more luck on Serena than Chuck.

"Babe, if you know something that will help us help her then you need to let us know." His voice was gentle yet there was a persuasive tone behind it. Serena turned to him and put her hand to his cheek, gently stroking it.

"I would if I could. But I made Blair a promise, and I'm not betraying her trust. I'd better go, me and Eric are gonna have a movie night tonight. I'll see you all at brunch, ok?" And with that Serena left, before the boys managed to persuade her to break Blair's trust. The three sat in silence for a while, trying to determine whether or not they should do something.

"Listen, I think we just need to wait a while for her to open up to us. I know it feels like we've known her for ages but lets be realistic here, it's her second day in Manhattan. And knowing us. We need to give it time." Dan's rational mind had helped the boys escape many a situation, and although Chuck knew he was right, he still admitted it begrudgingly.

The next few weeks passed easily. Blair was introduced to Serena and Chuck's family, and also visited Dan's loft in Brooklyn to meet his dad Rufus and his younger sister Jenny. Lily welcomed Blair with open arms, and viewed Blair as an adopted daughter as it were. Blair bonded with each of her new friends. She and Serena would shop constantly, although it didn't go unnoticed by Serena that Blair would always buy long sleeved tops. Nate took Blair to basketball games and Dan took Blair to all his favourite second hand book shops. Walking around Central Park one day, Blair discovered that she enjoyed feeding the ducks - it gave her a sense of calm and peace. So Blair and Chuck would occasionally walk around the park together, talking about everything and nothing. There was an undeniable connection between the two. Their humour was the same, their wits equal. They shared common interests yet also introduced each other to new things. Serena, Nate and Dan watched as Chuck, former womaniser, became enthralled by one woman. They could all see that he was falling in love with her, and Chuck knew it too. And as much as he wanted to fight it, he knew there was no stopping it.

Yet as much time as they spent with Blair, they were no closer to discovering the mystery of her past. Whenever they would try to ask her about her past, she would either ignore it or cleverly manipulate the conversation so that her companion was distracted onto another topic. As the charity gala approached, however, Serena knew that she would have to take a more direct approach. Chuck, Dan, Nate, Serena and Blair were hanging out in the penthouse on a lazy weekend. They had decided to have a film marathon of all their favourite films. The day had started with Clueless (Serena's choice), followed by The Godfather (Chuck's choice) and then Cool Runnings (clearly Nate's selection). Blair knew barely any films as she had missed out on them during her captivity. The only films she ever remembered watching were Audrey Hepburn films with her mother, so her request was Breakfast At Tiffany's. Blair had left the room for snacks, and was startled to see that Serena had followed her. "Hey S, what's up? Do the guys want more drinks?" Blair asked as she busied herself with the popcorn.

"No they're fine. I..um..I actually wanted to talk about the charity gala that's next week. I was wondering if that dress we bought…if it would work…" Serena trailed off nervously, wary of Blair's reactions. Blair stilled for a moment, before returning to the task at hand.

"Actually, I don't think I want to go to that anymore. Not really my thing" Blair replied casually, not facing Serena.

"What? Blair come on, you'd love it and we both know it. If this is about the dress, we can get a different one to cover…them." Serena said.

"S, please just drop it. My back's not the only place that's bruised, and no dress is going to be able to hide them. So I'd rather just not go. It's fine, really. No one has to know, I'll just pretend to be ill that day." Blair returned to the popcorn, hoping that Serena would take the hint and drop it. However if Serena was anything it was determined.

"Blair, you have to tell me what's going on, or what happened to you. I'm seriously worried. Let me help you, please" Serena was about to continue when a presence at the door startled both girls.

"Ladies, what's going on?" Chuck asked, surprised to see the two girls in an almost confrontational situation. "What just happened?"

"It's nothing, right Serena?" Blair turned to the friend she thought of as a sister, pleading with her gaze for her to keep her former secret. Serena looked down before replying, "Yeah, it's nothing Chuck." Blair walked out with the popcorn, while Chuck glared at Serena.

"I'm getting pretty tired of being kept in the dark, sis."

"Me too. You think I know something but I don't. She won't say anything. I really thought she was starting to trust us, but I guess not." Chuck walked up to his sister and pulled her into a hug. She was clearly upset, just as he was.

"It's ok, Serena. She'll be ready soon" he said, hopeful yet knowing that his words didn't hold much truth.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next day, Blair found herself alone in the penthouse. Her boys were out working, so she took the opportunity to sit at the piano. Despite the many years she hadn't played, the skill came naturally to her, and it was as if she had never stopped playing. She had always been a high standard, and she soon lost herself in the beautiful melody. It was her father's favourite, and she knew it well. Blair was so wrapped up in the music that she didn't hear Chuck come into the penthouse. He was shocked to hear the music playing, and he took off his shoes so that Blair wouldn't stop as she heard him approach. He quietly sat on the sofa and watched Blair. Her fingers danced lightly over the keys, producing a sweet, melancholic tune. Chuck watched as the soft light played across her curls, making them shine more than usual. She sat poised on the chair, yet her shoulders slumped as she finished the piece, and she shook slightly. Chuck clapped, interrupting her brief moment of weakness. She hastily brushed away her tears and turned to him, her expression clearly shocked and confused. "Chuck, what are you doing here?" she demanded.

"My meeting was cancelled, so I thought I'd come back here and see how you were doing. Maybe take you out for lunch."

"Oh, well thanks but I already ate" Blair said, getting up to walk away.

"I didn't know you played" he said, willing to keep Blair there for a while longer.

"I don't" was her quick reply.

"Well clearly that's a lie." Chuck didn't understand why she was suddenly so defensive.

"Look Chuck, you weren't meant to hear that, ok? Just drop it." Something in Chuck snapped at that.

"Blair, I just don't get it. What is wrong with you? Why are you trying to push me away? Do you not trust me? Because sometimes I get the feeling like you don't want to be here with us, like we did something to make you not trust us. Why can't you just open up?" He finished his rant, exasperated by her. Blair stood still and stony for a while, before walking to her room. Chuck was about to follow her when she came back out, her bag in hand and heading to the elevator. "Oh, so that's your answer, to walk away? Come on Blair, talk to me!" But Blair didn't turn around, she just kept on walking and left Chuck alone in the penthouse, not knowing how to fix what he had just done.

When Nate and Dan returned to the apartment, Chuck explained Blair's absence. It was clear that he was beating himself up about it, with his dishevelled appearance showing that he had been pacing with worry for quite some time.

"I don't know what I was thinking! I just wanted her to let me in, and now I've pushed her away completely" Chuck complained.

"Look man, it's understandable that you reacted that way. I mean I'm not saying it's ok, I still think you're a douche. But Nate and I don't have the same feelings for Blair that you do. I mean, she's like a sister to us. Hell, I prefer her to Jenny, my own flesh and blood. But I get that you need her in a different way." Nate and Dan couldn't help but feel sorry for Chuck. He always took the blame upon himself for the mistakes of others, and took twice as hard when it was his own mistake.

"Yeah but now she's out in the city at night when god knows what could happen to her! We have to find her." No sooner had he said this, however, when Blair and Serena walked through the door. Serena and Blair hugged before Serena allowed Blair to walk to her room, ignoring all three of her roommates. The boys had no time to follow her before Serena descended upon them.

"Bass, what the hell were you thinking? Way to make her clam up! She was so close to trusting all of us, and now she's closed up again. Geesh!"

"I'm sorry S, I really am. I just don't know what to do." Any anger Serena felt for her brother quickly dissipated as she saw how upset he was.

"I'm sorry. I find it frustrating to, that she won't let me help her. But there's nothing we can do." The next few days were awkward. The three boys were stepping on eggshells around Blair, afraid to do or say anything which would push her away. Blair spent increasing amounts of time away from the penthouse and her new family, and the boys couldn't help but be curious. As Dan and Blair sat reading one day, he decided to ask her about what she was doing.

"Hey Blair? I was wondering whether you got a job. You've been spending a lot of time out recently, so I thought maybe you'd got a job." Blair looked up and said,

"No actually, I've been seeing someone." Dan almost dropped his book.

"What? Who? I didn't think you knew anyone in the city." His mind was desperately trying to think about a time when she had met a guy but he couldn't come up with anything.

"I doubt you know him, I met him the other night when I went out. We've been going out on a few dates. I'm going out with him again tomorrow, actually." Blair replied, obviously unaware on how much of an effect this news would have. Dan was thoroughly confused, he was convinced that Blair had feelings for Chuck.

"But Blair, tomorrow night's the charity gala. I thought you were gonna come with all of us." Dan knew that Chuck had been hoping to patch things up with Blair at the gala. "I know that Lily was looking forward to you being there." Suddenly Blair felt guilty about abandoning those who had welcomed her for the sake of some date.

"How about I invite him to the gala instead. That way we can still have our date, and you guys can all meet him." Blair responded, leaving Dan trying to find a way to fault her logic.

"Meet who?" called out Nate, as he and Chuck walked into the living room. "Oh shit" thought Dan as he pictured Chuck's reaction.

"The guy I've been seeing." Chuck's reaction would have been comical had it not been so tragic. His mouth dropped open and he stood gaping and spluttering.

"What? Since when are you dating?" he muttered through gritted teeth.

"Well after out chat the other day I went out to a bar and I met someone. We've been seeing each other ever since." Nate and Dan watched helplessly as the scene unfolded. Chuck felt as though he had been punched in the gut as he realised that he had driven her into the arms of a stranger.

"Ah, I see" he replied bitterly. "And we get to meet him?"

"Yes, tomorrow." Blair smiled, sweet yet slightly smug.

"Well we look forward to it" Nate chipped in, eager to diffuse the tension. Blair flitted off to the kitchen to start on dinner, while Chuck rang Serena for advice. Within ten minutes Serena waltzed into the penthouse, heading straight for the kitchen.

"So, I hear you're coming to the gala now. What happened? You find a dress?" Serena was curious as to what had happened within a week to change Blair's opinion so much.

"No, the other dress is fine. The bruises on my back have cleared up." Blair responded in as casual a voice as she could muster.

"Are you ever going to tell me how you got them?" Serena asked, desperate to be let in.

"I fell down the stairs back home, that's all."

"Well that's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard in my life." Serena almost laughed at how bad an excuse Blair had made up.

"Believe what you want, that's the truth" Blair said as she chopped vegetables.

"Well, when you look me in the eye and say it, I'll believe you." And with that, Serena walked out of the penthouse, leaving the boys bemused. Blair sighed, knowing that it was starting to weigh on her friendships that she was shutting them out of her life. She thought about the way Chuck had reacted the news about her date. Blair had been so upset about the piano incident. She knew that everything Chuck was saying was true - it was unfair that she was distancing herself from them. Him especially. Blair had been steadily falling for Chuck ever since she had met him. But she wasn't ready to let them in, she was afraid about how he would react when he learned that she wasn't as perfect as he thought. Blair convinced herself that she didn't deserve Chuck, and that he would be better off without her. So when she ran into the guy at the bar who offered her a drink, she thought that this was the perfect way to move on.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks again for the reviews. I know I'm updating a lot but I have exams all this week so won't be able to write, so am making up for it in advance.**

Chapter 7

Blair left the house early on the day of the ball to get ready with Serena. This gave Chuck the chance to brood over his current situation. As much as he hated the fact that Blair was with someone else, he knew he couldn't do anything. He didn't want to push Blair any further away. So he decided that he would have to grin and bear it. Chuck, Dan and Nate walked into The Palace ballroom and immediately scanned the crowd for the girls. They were all smartly and expensively dressed, with Nate and Chuck in traditional black suits and Dan in a striking silver grey suit. However, Chuck had accessorised his with a scarlet red bowtie. Nate caught sight of Serena, who looked stunning in a tight fitting, black gown which touched the floor.

"Serena, you look amazing, as always" Nate said, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek.

"Where's Blair?" Chuck asked, eager to see her.

"She's just coming now." Chuck turned around and spotted her at the same time as the rest of the crowd did. A hushed silence fell upon the room as they watched the anonymous newcomer. She looked stunning, poised and almost regal. Her hair was pinned back from her face and fell down her back in luscious locks - her bright eyes were framed by black kohl liner. Her red dress clung to all the right places, and Chuck blushed slightly when he realised that they matched. Yet when she turned around and he saw her bare back, Chuck almost fainted. She was, without doubt, the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, and at that moment he wanted her more than ever. And then he saw a hand touch her skin, and that desire quickly morphed into red hot anger. For that hand belonged to none other than Carter Baizen. Chuck quickly turned to his companions, all of whom were just as shocked as him.

"Are you _fucking_ kidding me! Carter? Carter FUCKING Baizen? How the hell is she going out with that prick?" Nate and Dan were glaring at Carter - they too were

not big fans.

"I have no idea man. I haven't seen him since his parents sent him away two years ago." If there was anyone that Chuck, Nate and Dan hated it was the man standing not too far from them. Carter had scammed all three of them out of extortionate amounts of money, and had also pretended to track down Serena's father in an attempt to get closer to her. Nate drew an arm around his girlfriend protectively at the memory, and she smiled up at him appreciatively. She was just as baffled as to how someone as sweet and kind as Blair could be with Carter.

"Hey everyone. This is my date, Carter" Blair stated. Carter smirked at the angry quartet.

"Oh don't worry sweetie, I already know these four. We go way back."

"Oh great!" Blair said optimistically. Yet as she picked up on the tension, she realised that something was very wrong. "What's going on?"

"Your date here happens to be a scumbag." Chuck stated, as the others nodded in agreement.

"Wow Chuck, is that jealousy I detect? Haha sorry, I didn't realise Blair was your girl." Carter said smugly. "Oh wait, she's not, she's _my _girl." Chuck's nostrils flared as he glared menacingly at Carter, who only incensed him further by leaning down to kiss Blair on the cheek. "I'll go and get us some drinks, babe." And with that, Blair was left to face her friends.

"B, what the hell are you doing with a guy like Carter?" Serena questioned.

"He happens to be really nice. Smart too. It's not like we're serious" Blair defended, confused as to why they were so against Carter.

"Oh please, guys like Carter are only after one thing Blair" Chuck growled. Dan jumped in quickly to diffuse the situation,

"Look Blair, we're just worried. Carter is not a good guy. You have no idea what he's capable of."

"I appreciate how protective you all are, really I do. But I think I can decide for myself what kind of guy he is."

"Blair, don't be stupid. You're eighteen years old, and he's what, twenty-four? You cannot be serious about seeing him. I won't let you." Blair looked at Chuck, shocked, hurt but mostly angry at what he said.

"Way to be patronising, Chuck. I don't care how old he is. Like I said, I appreciate your concern, but you have absolutely no right to tell me what to do. I can take care of myself." Blair spun round and headed to the bar where Carter was waiting for her, having watched the whole thing. Wishing to anger Chuck further, Carter leaned in to kiss Blair, spreading his hands across her bare back, much too low for Chuck's liking. Chuck stormed out of the room, closely followed by Dan. Blair watched over Carter's shoulder, upset at how Chuck had reacted. She couldn't help but feel guilty. She realised it was wrong to use Carter to make Chuck jealous, considering their history. However, Chuck made her so angry sometimes. She knew she couldn't betray her new family like this though, so at the end of the night Blair decided to break things off with Carter.

"Carter, I really appreciate you hanging out with me these past few days. But I think it would be best for us to just end things. It's obvious that my friends have an issue with you, and I don't want to put them in this position."

"Excuse me? You think you can use me and get away with it? Do you have any fucking idea who I am?" Blair was surprised at the anger in his tone. The Carter she had seen over the past few days was mellow and understanding. She had a sinking feeling that it was all a façade.

"I didn't mean to do that. That's why I think we should stop." Blair started to back away slowly. She had to leave Carter's apartment. There was a look in his eyes that was all too familiar to her, one that she never thought she'd have to see again.

"So I'm just going to leave now" she stammered as Carter stalked towards her. She knew it was now or never, so she turned and ran to the door, her ridiculous heels long forgotten. But he was quick and threw her up against the door. Her head banged against the hard wood and for a moment she was dizzy and disorientated.

"You think you can fuck with me and get away with it? You fucking tease!" he screamed, slamming her against the wall again. Her back scraped against the cold brick.

"Let me go!" she cried as she squirmed in his firm grasp. She could feel new bruises forming under his hands, covering old bruises which had barely healed. He struck her across the face, causing Blair to fall to the floor in a crumpled heap. She cast around for anything she could use in self defence, and her eyes fell upon a vase of flowers. She leapt up and threw it at him, the crash of glass enough of a distraction for Blair to escape. With no money on her, Blair began to run in what she hoped was the right direction, desperately hoping that Carter was not following her. When she felt that she couldn't run anymore, she looked around for anything familiar. By then it was two o'clock in the morning, yet the streets were still swarming with people. Blair realised that she was only two blocks from the penthouse, so she slowly made her way back. As she rode up in the elevator, she prayed that all the boys had gone to bed. She did not want them to see her like this. She cursed the ding of the elevator as she crept out. With no heels, she was able to pad across the floor silently. However, she noticed a light from the living room. Chuck was sitting, still in his suit, with a glass of scotch in hand. Blair's quiet curse caused him to raise his head. Blair made sure to angle her body so that only her side was showing, and the side of her face which Carter had hit was hidden. The throbbing pain so familiar to her was enough to tell her that a visible bruise would have already formed. She was careful to remain still, too, lest she turned and Chuck saw the scratches on her back.

"What are you still doing up? The gala ended ages ago." Blair said tentatively, knowing he would not let her go until they had resolved their issues.

"I - I wanted to know whether or not you came home. Which you did, so…" Chuck responded, wanting to ask her whether or not she had slept with Carter. Blair didn't need to look at him to know what he was thinking.

"I didn't sleep with Carter" she stated bluntly.

"Oh, well, that's good." Blair felt her stomach flutter as she heard the obvious relief in his voice. "I'm so sorry. I know I acted like a total ass today, and earlier this week as well. I just feel strangely protective of you. I just want you to be safe and to feel comfortable here." Blair felt tears welling up at his quiet speech.

"Oh Chuck, I am comfortable here, more than you'll ever know. And I appreciate it, it was silly of me to walk out. And I'm not seeing Carter anymore. I should have trusted you guys."

"Oh, that was quick. If you like him," Chuck said with a pained expression, which he was thankful that Blair couldn't see "then it's not my business to stop you from seeing him."

"No, he showed his true colours to me tonight. I don't want to be around people like that. If I'm honest, I never really liked him" Blair admitted. It was Chuck's turn to have his stomach flutter, as he felt hope in her words. Chuck stepped forward, accidentally knocking over his now empty glass on the table. The sharp noise caused Blair to turn around, yet she didn't turn away again quickly enough for Chuck to miss her face.

"Well, night then" she muttered before running off. But Chuck wouldn't be put off that easily. He followed her into her bedroom where she stood with her back to him. He gazed wordlessly at her back, appalled at the fresh marks he saw there.

"Blair. Look at me" he tried calmly. When Blair showed no signs of turning, Chuck demanded "Turn around. Now." Still no response. Chuck walked up behind Blair and softly turned her to him. She kept her eyes on the ground. Chuck trailed his fingers lightly across the fastly forming bruise across her cheek. He gulped. "Blair. Did he do this to you?" His voice was steady, yet his shaking fists showed just how angry he was that anyone would dare touch his Blair. Her silence confirmed his suspicions, and he whispered "I'll fucking kill him." Suddenly, Blair grabbed his hands and looked directly into his eyes.

"No, please just leave it. Just stay here, please." Chuck, seeing her tear-brimmed eyes, knew that he couldn't leave Blair like this. "It's not worth it."

"Not worth it? Blair, how can you say that? Look at what he's done!" Chuck was astonished by Blair's view of herself. "How can you possibly act like you deserve this?"

"Chuck. It's over, ok? Nothing can be gained from you finding him and putting yourself in danger. I don't want that" Blair implored.

"Fine. I don't like it, but I won't do anything. Right now I'm going to take care of you though, no arguing" he finished as Blair opened her mouth to try to dissuade him.

Chuck made Blair sit on the bed while he went to grab a first aid kit from the kitchen. He kneeled on the bed behind her and tended to her cuts, and massaged cream onto her bruises. Although they chatted about nonsensical issues, neither could ignore the intimacy of the situation. Or how good it felt to be close to one another. Chuck allowed Blair out of his sight only to change into pyjamas, while he waited on her bed. She sat cross legged by the pillows as he applied cream to the bruise on her cheek. She winced slightly at his touch, but otherwise made no complaint. They held each other's gaze as Chuck stroked her cheek, continuing long after the cream was rubbed in. Chuck marvelled at the softness of Blair's skin, whilst Chuck's touch sent shivers through her whole body. Soon though, Blair's adrenaline wore thin and exhaustion took over.

"Blair, I know you need to sleep, but I need to know that you're safe. So I'm just gonna sleep on the floor." Chuck made to get up off the bed when Blair reached out and grasped his hand.

"I need you here too. And there's no way you're slumming it on the floor. Your rich ass wouldn't last five minutes. You can sleep here, it's fine." After that she drifted off as Chuck settled into the bed, keeping a careful distance from Blair, despite his urge to hold her in his arms. His protective instinct had increased tenfold. However his prayers were answered when Blair shuffled closer to him in her sleep, resting her head on his chest as if it were a pillow. At first Chuck froze before he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, glad that she was safe. He drifted off with the heavenly scent of vanilla and lavender calming him.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Chuck woke up the next morning warmer and more comfortable than he could ever remember being. He looked down and was pleased to see that Blair was still wrapped in his arms, with one of her legs thrown carefully over his. He marvelled at the way her petite figure fit seamlessly into his, with her beautiful head tucked carefully under his chin. He didn't stir, wanting to prolong the moment as long as possible. Little did he know that Blair was also awake, unwilling to break the embrace. Yet when she heard Nate and Dan shuffling around in the kitchen, she knew it was time to get up. She lifted her head and was met by Chuck's gaze.

"Morning" she said, almost forgetting the circumstances which had led Chuck to stay with her. However the look on his face told her that a bruise was evident.

"Morning. How does it feel?" he asked, careful to keep the anger out of his voice.

"It's fine honestly, I've had worse" she replied carelessly, immediately chastising herself for slipping up. His eyes turned hard but he didn't ask her to elaborate.

"Come on, you should eat something. Let us take care of you for once." Chuck took Blair's slim hand in his own and led her to the kitchen. He could sense that Blair hung back, unwilling for the others to see. Chuck turned to her and tilted her face up to look at him. "Don't worry, you still look as beautiful as ever." Blair gave him a sweet smile before continuing to the kitchen. Chuck allowed himself to feel proud for a moment before following her in.

"What the-" Nate began, before Dan interrupted, "What the hell is that? What happened to you?" Both teenagers ran up to Blair and hugged her.

"Whoa guys, I'm fine, really." Nate broke away to look at Chuck while Dan kept his arm around Blair.

"This was Carter, wasn't it? That fucking dick, wait till I get my hands on him-" Nate fumed, but was again cut off.

"I totally agree with you, but Blair doesn't want us to do anything and need to respect that." Dan turned Blair to face him and asked,

"Are you sure Blair?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I meant what I said to you all last night - I appreciate how protective you are but really, it's fine. I want to thank you all for making me feel so at home. I know I haven't totally opened up to you and you may think that's because I don't feel comfortable, but I do. Really." The three boys each took turns in kissing Blair on her unharmed cheek, Chuck's lips lingering slightly longer than the others.

"Ok, well I think it's our turn to make breakfast for you, considering the circumstances. So sit, go back to bed, and we'll bring it to you" Nate declared, winking at his petite friend. Nate was an only child, but considered Blair the sister he never had. Blair smirked at the three as they eagerly began assembling ingredients.

"As much as I appreciate the thought, I think I'll stay in here. I don't want you burning the building down." They all laughed as the boys began to crack eggs for pancakes. The four chattered amiably until Dan accidentally spilt flour over Chuck's suit trousers, which he hadn't yet had the chance to change out over. A deadly silence overtook the kitchen - everyone knew how much pride Chuck took in his attire.

"Daniel, I do hope you realise that these trousers are tailor made, one of a kind Gucci."

"I'm so sorry Chuck. Just take them to the dry cleaners…" But Dan couldn't finish his sentence, as Chuck had decided to flick flour in his face. In an attempt to retaliate, Dan picked up an egg but as he raised his arm to throw it, it slipped behind him and hit Nate square in the chest.

"Hey!" he shouted before joining in whole heartedly and grabbing flour to rub in both his friend's faces. Blair sat laughing at their childish behaviour, and suddenly all three boys looked at each other with a glint in their eyes. They began to walk towards Blair, as she shouted "No, don't you dare! Don't even think about it!" But she had no chance. Chuck grabbed her around the waist, gentle so as not to hurt her yet strong enough to restrain her. As he did this, Nate and Dan massaged flour into her hair and flicked it at her face, so that all of them were covered. The group fell to the floor in hysterics, with Blair ending up in Chuck's lap as he had yet to remove his hands. And this is how Serena found them. At first she was shocked, but she soon began laughing at the situation which set them all off again.

"Well, I was going to suggest a picnic in the park…but I'm thinking we should stay in" laughed Serena. It wasn't until then that she noticed the purple bruise under the flour covering Blair's face.

"Blair" she gasped. "what happened?" All the boys sobered up as Blair declared,

"It was Carter, but really it's nothing. I'm not going to see him anymore, so no harm done." Serena looked at Blair meaningfully, which Chuck noticed. Her expression clearly said 'We will talk later whether you like it or not'. Dan coughed and tried to lighten the mood. "Right well how about we clean up while you take a shower Blair, and then we'll make you something for breakfast."

"Sounds great, thanks." Blair tried to get up, but realised that Chuck's arms were still around her. He had begun talking to Nate and didn't seem to notice. "Chuck?"

"Yes, Blair."

"I can't get up."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Well, maybe if you took your arms away then I'd be able to." Chuck flushed suddenly, embarrassed that he hadn't let go earlier.

"Oh er sure, sorry." The boys turned to him, amused, as Blair and Serena walked to Blair's bedroom.

"Oh my god, the great Chuck Bass, blushing? I never thought I'd see the day!" Dan exclaimed dramatically.

"Shut it." Chuck turned to Nate, who was watching his girlfriend follow Blair. "Nathaniel, any idea what your girlfriend knows that we don't?"

"No I'm afraid. I've tried everything, she will not budge."

Meanwhile Serena shut the door behind her and Blair so that the boys wouldn't overhear them. "Blair, I know we've only known each other for a few months, but you're honestly the best friend I've ever had. I feel like you're my sister."

"I feel the same way S" Blair replied, already knowing where this conversation was heading.

"And you know I love you, and that all the guys love you. Hell, even my mother thinks you're the best thing to happen to our family in a long time!" Blair smiled at the thought of her adopted mother, yet kept silent as Serena said her piece. "But on the first day I met you you were covered in bruises, and now I find you with fresh bruises on your face! What is going on! I get that Carter did this to you and I hate him all the more for it, but that doesn't explain what happened to you before. Please, I need to know. And the guys deserve to as well." Serena hadn't meant to, but her voice had risen considerably to the point that it sounded as if she were shouting at Blair. The guys walked in to see what the argument was about.

"What's going on, girls?" Chuck asked, curious as to what the duo could possibly be arguing about.

"We're not fighting, guys. Just give us a minute, please." Although her tone was polite, Blair's voice left no room for discussion. Blair walked up to her best friend and hugged her tightly. "S, I can't tell the guys. After this whole mess with Carter, after I've seen how protective they are of me, I couldn't possibly tell them this. Not until everything's died down. But I'll tell you, I swear. Just let me get this damn flour out of my hair, and then I'll meet you at our spot in the park to tell you everything, alright?" Serena nodded, trusting Blair without question. She made her excuses to the guys and left to find the bench in the park where her and Blair had spent many an afternoon sitting and talking.

Blair sat with the guys quietly eating her breakfast. She could feel all their anxious stares, yet did not have the courage to meet them. After finishing her meal, she made too made her excuses and left to meet Serena. She had covered her bruise as best she could with make up, and wore large and in her opinion pretentious sunglasses to help hide it. Blair sat silently next to Serena, who immediately turned to face her. And Blair began her tragic tale. She told Serena how both her parents had died, her mother due to drugs and alcohol. She told Serena how Aaron had taken her away from her home and hidden her, how he had abused her for so many years. When she had finished, Serena grasped her in a tight embrace as she cried for her friend's suffering. Blair let silent tears escape too, and melted into Serena. When both girls were out of tears, they stood up and began walking back to the penthouse.

"Thank you, S. I didn't realise how much I needed to tell someone."

"B, I'm always here for you. And so are the guys. I can't imagine what you've been through, but we're here now and we will look after you. You're family now." Both held watery smiles as they walked into the penthouse to find the boys waiting expectantly. They could all see that something had happened that the girls would not disclose. So Serena settled beside Nate, and Blair sat between Dan and Chuck, and the group chatted as comfortably as ever.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The next two weeks passed by quickly for the whole group. Blair found herself a job as a piano player at a luxury hotel. Before applying she had made sure that Chuck didn't own the hotel so that none of them would know. She had told them that she was working as an assistant, and they seemed to accept it without suspicion. Blair found herself missing Chuck as his work schedule took him away from home for long stretches of time. He would leave early and return late at night, exhausted from a long day at work. Work even consumed his time at weekends. It was evident that he was working on a big case, so Dan and Nate advised her to give him his space. Throughout their friendship they had discovered that when Chuck was so focused on one thing, it was best not to distract him. Yet Blair found herself worrying about Chuck, and the fact that he wasn't able to take care of himself properly when he was working so tirelessly. So after fourteen nights of Chuck working endlessly, Blair decided to wait up for him. Chuck dragged his feet through the penthouse, utterly exhausted. He was surprised to find Blair sitting with a book on the kitchen counter, waiting for him. No bruise was visible on her cheek, which pleased Chuck. "Blair, it's nearly midnight, what are you still doing up?" he asked, even though he already knew. He just wanted to hear her say it.

"I was waiting for you, silly" she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The two stared into each other's eyes for a moment, fully aware that this was the first time they had been alone since the night Chuck had slept in Blair's bed.

"You've been working so much lately and haven't been taking proper care of yourself. And I know you're tired, but I wanted to make sure that you ate a decent meal. So sit. I made your favourite." Blair turned to the oven and brought out two large plates of lasagne.

"You haven't eaten yet? Blair, you didn't have to wait…you're probably starving!"

"It's ok. I didn't want you to eat alone" she replied simply. Chuck was touched, yet his grumbling stomach didn't allow him to respond until he had devoured the meal.

"Amazing as ever Blair." She smiled as she got up to place their dishes in the dishwasher. She then poured two mugs of hot chocolate for the pair and returned to her seat. "I really appreciate this Blair. It feels nice to be taken care of. My mother, Evelyn, died when I was about seven. Ever since then, me and my dad lived in hotels where the only people who looked after me were staff. Obviously my dad was there and I wasn't neglected, but he found it difficult to show emotion," Chuck was lost in thought for a moment before he continued, "but then you showed up, and started taking care of me; of all of us. Thank you." Chuck glanced up at Blair, smiling. She leaned over and squeezed his hand.

"I'm sorry about your mum, Chuck. And really, it's no problem. You welcomed me into your home, your life! It's the least I can do." They both smiled, their hands still entwined on the table. Jolts of electricity were passing through each of their bodies at the small contact. "What's this big deal you're working on, anyway? Must be pretty important."

"Yeah, you could say that. I'm trying to expand into Europe at the moment. Last week I closed a deal on a chain of hotels in Paris, and if all goes to plan by tomorrow I will have a chain in London as well." At the mention of her old home Blair's hand tightened in Chuck's. She quickly removed her hand and placed it in her lap, hurrying to cover this up by asking another question. Both missed the warmth of the contact though.

"Wow, that's great. Will you be able to relax a bit after tomorrow then?"

"Yes, I'm allowed to take a couple weeks off actually. I was going to get everyone together tomorrow and talk to them about this, but seeing as you're here…I was thinking that we should all go on a trip somewhere."

"Really?" Blair's eyes lit up. She remembered how much fun she had had when on holiday with her parents as a child. The last holiday she had been on was the year before her father was killed, when her mother took her to a fashion show in Milan. "Where would we go?" she asked eagerly.

"Well I was going to let you guys decide."

"Oh please, you've been working non-stop for ages. It's only fair that you choose the place. Where do _you_ want to go?" Chuck was surprised yet pleased at how insistent Blair was.

"Alright bossy-boots. I was thinking somewhere with a beach definitely, and good night life. Maybe a Greek island? That'd be good." Chuck could already picture the sun and sand, and the prospect of Blair in a skimpy bikini…

"Sounds good. Now it's time to get you to bed. You need a good night's sleep for work tomorrow."

"Ok, night Blair." He leaned forward and kissed her gingerly on the cheek before wrapping his arms around her slim shoulders. Blair returned the embrace, stroking his hair before reluctantly breaking away to go to bed. Both dreamt of romantic walks on the beach and frolics in the ocean…neither could wait for the holiday.

Chuck returned from work the next day with an undeniable spring in his step. He had gathered the gang at the penthouse and they all waited eagerly for his arrival. They knew how hard Chuck had been working on this deal. As he walked into the penthouse, they collectively held their breath in anticipation. Chuck could not wipe the grin off his face as he turned the corner, communicating without words that his deal was successful. The girls ran over to him, squealing with joy and hugging him. The guys waiting for the bombardment to end before clapping their friend on the back with pride. "Ladies and gentlemen, you are looking at a very, very rich man."

"No change there then" Dan deadpanned, earning a laugh from the buoyant crowd.

"Well, the reason I wanted you all here is because I think a holiday is in order. Nate, Dan and Serena, I've already cleared your schedules with all your bosses-"

"Dude, I frikkin' love you" shouted out Nate enthusiastically. Chuck raised his eyebrows before continuing. "Blair, I didn't manage to contact your boss. I think maybe there was a mix up with the number you gave me" Chuck said, although the look in his eyes told Blair that he knew exactly what she had done. "Shit" she thought. "Last night I was toying with the idea of Greece, but why waste time with flights when we have Mexico so close by? Pack your bags, we leave on the Bass jet at 10am tomorrow." The group again ran to Chuck, almost knocking him over in their group hug. As Dan and Nate ran to their rooms to start packing, Chuck called Serena over. "Sis, I don't want a repeat of what happened last time on the jet, alright?" he smirked. Serena blushed at the memory - it had amazed her that the pilot refused to allow her to take all her bags on the plane, claiming it was a hazard to the safety of the plane.

"Got it, minimal. See you tomorrow, bro" she replied fleetingly, already trying to figure out how to pack all the necessities without breaching the limit. Realising she was alone with Chuck, Blair quickly walked to the kitchen to start the washing up. Yet, of course, the Basstard had followed her.

"So Blair, could I get that number now?" he asked.

"You know what, I'll just talk to him, it'll be fine I'm sure."

"I hate to sound cocky but I'm sure the Bass name will help you get off more easily. I wouldn't want to cause any problems for you." Blair looked up at Chuck, irritated at his manner. She knew that he knew she had been lying and that he was merely waiting for her to admit it.

"So I lied. So what?" Blair huffed, giving in earlier than Chuck had anticipated.

"I'm not entirely sure why you felt the need to lie. Unless you're a stripper, which I'm praying you're not, then I don't see why you feel the need to hide."

"You're right Chuck, I'm sorry. I just didn't think that you, Nate and Dan would let me leave the house if you knew I was a stripper." Blair replied with an ashamed expression, and Chuck almost choked on the glass of water he was drinking.

"Excuse me? There is NO WAY IN HELL that I am ok with you taking your clothes off for money! You are going to quit right now!" The jealousy in Chuck's tone was unmistakeable. He had worked himself up so much that he didn't notice that Blair was hysterically laughing.

"Wow Bass, I had no idea you were so gullible!" she laughed. Chuck glared at her, waiting for her to calm down.

"Very amusing Waldorf. Nice attempt at aversion tactics. But you're not getting round me. What's really going on."

"Oh fine. If you must know, I play piano at cocktail hour for the Savoy Hotel." It was so simple that Chuck almost thought she was joking again. Yet, remembering her reaction when he caught her playing before, he realised that she was telling the truth.

"Ok, and why did you feel the need to hide that?" Chuck was genuinely curious.

"Playing - it's - it's very personal for me. It was something me and my dad did before he was murdered when I was eleven. I can handle playing to strangers, but having friends listen to me…if just makes me think of how my dad used to sit with me when I played. When you heard me the other week and clapped for me, it just reminded me too much of my dad. I'm sorry." Chuck was stunned - this was the first insight Blair had given any of them bar Serena into her former life.

"Blair, I'm so sorry about your dad. Really. I'm sure he was a great man." Blair didn't look up at him, or respond, she merely leant her head against his chest. He wrapped an arm around her, and the two stood like that for a long time. "Thank you, for sharing that with me Blair. From what I heard the other week, you're very talented. I'm sure your father would be proud." Blair kissed Chuck's cheek in thanks, before walking to her room. Halfway though, Chuck heard her scream "Oh shit! Shit shit shit!" All the boys ran into the living area to find Blair in the centre of room, frozen.

"What? Blair, what happened?" Nate shouted as Dan and Chuck ran to her.

"I don't have any swim suits! I need to go shopping!" The three men looked at each other before bursting out laughing at how girly Blair was in that moment. "This is no joke, this is serious! I have barely any time to shop for a two week holiday!" And with that she was off, leaving the boys' laughter behind her as she rang Serena who would fully understand the importance of the situation.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Blair was still amazed by just how rich Chuck was. For someone so down to earth, he had really amassed a fortune in his few years as head of Bass Industries. The Bass jet surpassed Blair's expectations, although she had learnt to expect nothing less than perfect from life with a Bass. The excitement between the group was bubbling and all of them enjoyed each other's company. A celebratory bottle of champagne was opened as the gang set off to Mexico. Serena and Nate sat snuggled in one corner, while Chuck watched Blair and Dan's animated debate over the pros and cons of Steinbeck. The topic held no interest to him, he simply loved to watch Blair talk about something she was clearly passionate about. Serena caught her brother gazing at her best friend and felt proud that Chuck had matured from his playboy days. She could tell that Blair had feelings for her brother as well, and had already begun conspiring secretly with Dan and Nate on ways to get the pair together during the holiday. The trip to the hotel from the airport was short, and soon the group were walking through the spacious lobby at their five star resort. The place was huge, and Blair couldn't help but let her mouth hang open at the grandeur of the hotel. It was decided that, instead of having separate rooms, the group would hire a villa at Chuck's expense. All of them tried to contribute, but Chuck's generosity clearly knew no bounds.

As everyone settled in, Chuck found Blair on the balcony. Their view was beautiful, as they were right by the beach and the sun was close to setting. Yet Chuck couldn't help but think that the view would be infinitely less impressive without Blair.

"Hey, Blair? Everyone's getting ready to go out. I hope you're ready for a night out on the town."

"Ha ok, I'm sure Serena already has an outfit picked out for me." Chuck and Blair both laughed at this. When Blair entered her and Serena's room, as predicted, her outfit was already laid on the bed.

"Serena, what the hell is that? You can't seriously expect me to wear that scrap of material!" Serena was already dressed in a skimpy sequined dress which made her look like a goddess.

"Yes, I fully expect you to wear that. You have no excuse, you told me yourself when we were bikini shopping that all your bruises were gone. So I am going to expose that figure of yours. All the guys will be falling at your feet…including Chuck" Serena said, quirking an eyebrow at her friend.

"What makes you think that I care what Chuck thinks?" Serena scoffed, and Blair knew she couldn't hide it. "Ok, so I may have a slight crush."

"Trust me honey, wear the dress. With these heels" Serena squealed as she threw ridiculously high Jimmy Choos in Blair's directions.

An hour later and the guys were ready and waiting for the girls to emerge.

"Would you guys hurry up?" Dan yelled. In a matter of minutes, the clack of heels could be heard coming down the stairs. Serena entered the room first, her long, tanned legs on full display. Nate took no time in running up to her and whispering in her ear, eliciting a giggle from Serena. Dan and Chuck rolled their eyes as the waited for Blair. Chuck was in no way prepared for what he saw, however. Blair was wearing a figure hugging black dress which left very little to the imagination. It was entirely backless, a look which Chuck had already decided he loved on Blair. And her legs were also on full display, made even more toned by the sexy heels she wore. All in all, Chuck was completely speechless. Noticing the silence in the room, Blair spoke up, suddenly worried. "What's wrong? Don't I look ok?"

"Blair, you look fucking fantastic" Chuck breathed. Blair stared at him for a while before linking arms with Serena to head out. "This is gonna be one hell of a night" Chuck muttered to Dan, who clapped him on the back in encouragement. Having received recommendations from friends, Chuck selected a great club in the town. It was already packed by the time the group arrived, and they immediately selected a booth and ordered shots. After the third round the effects of the tequila were definitely kicking in, and Serena was dragging Blair onto the dance floor, much to the appreciation of most males in the club. They danced energetically yet managed to remain sexy. It wasn't long until they attracted male attention, as two large men came up behind each girl in an attempt to grind with them. Chuck and Nate immediately jumped up to reclaim possession of the girls, glaring at the men. Dan had found an attractive Brooklynite called Vanessa, and was talking to her in the bar. Blair, Serena, Nate and Chuck continued dancing for a while before going back to the table and ordering more drinks. A few more shots and cocktails later, the group was definitely drunk. Serena and Blair stumbled the way to the bar while Chuck and Nate talked to Dan about Vanessa, who had gone to the bar. Yet they were distracted from their conversation by a large shout from the crowd at the opposite side of the room. On the other side of the room, Blair and Serena had managed to clamber onto a table and were dancing with each other, much to the delight of the male crowd.

"Right, I'll leave that for you guys to deal with then" laughed Dan as he took Vanessa and exited the club. Chuck and Nate made their way over the table and shouted at the girls to come down. Yet they were having way too much fun, so the boys grabbed the girls and threw them over their shoulders. They stumbled their way out into the fresh air and then put the two tipsy, angry girls down.

"Hey you mother chucker, what the hell was that?" Chuck laughed at that,

"Mother chucker? Really?" Chuck knew he was drunk, which gave him the courage to do what he did next. He flung an arm around Blair's shoulder and started to lead her back to the hotel. Serena and Nate were walking in front of them, hand in hand.

"I was having fun" slurred Blair, leaning her head against Chuck's shoulder.

"I know, sweetie. Me too. But if I didn't take you out of that club, one of your fans would have" Chuck stated. They walked slowly and silently back to the hotel, too drunk to care that they were acting like a couple. They reluctantly hugged goodnight and parted ways. Yet Blair discovered that Serena and Nate were occupying the bed that Serena and Blair were meant to be sharing, so she crept downstairs. She bumped into Chuck, who had found Dan and Vanessa sharing the spare room bed, leaving only one available. "Looks like you're in my bed tonight Waldorf" Chuck whispered seductively.

"Are you trying to take advantage of me, Mister Bass?"

"Haha no. Come on, you can wear one of my shirts to sleep in. As much as I love that dress on you, it can't be comfortable to sleep in it." Chuck handed Blair a white t-shirt.

"Could you help me out with the zip please? It gets stuck." Blair swept her hair aside leaving her back and neck exposed. Chuck couldn't help but feel aroused as he approached her.

"Sure" he gulped, as he reached to her side where the zip was. He brushed his fingers across her back, causing her to sharply breathe in. Not wanting to take advantage of the situation, Chuck walked away, although it pained him to do it. With her back to him , Blair shimmied out of the dress. Chuck stared at her perfect figure, highlighted perfectly by the moonlight. Too soon she pulled his t-shirt over herself and crawled into bed, amused to see him staring. "Shit, I hope she doesn't remember that tomorrow" he thought. He turned to try and hide his obvious arousal. He pulled his t-shirt over his head, and now it was Blair's turn to admire him. His masculine physique was defined, the muscles across his back rippling at his movement. Blair admired his toned, strong arms. He decided to sleep in just his boxers given the intense heat outside. He clambered into bed, suddenly hesitant about whether or not to go closer to Blair. They lay face to face for a while, their breaths heating each other's faces. Chuck leaned closer, and for a moment Blair thought that he was going to kiss her. But at the last minute Chuck settled on kissing her forehead instead, throwing an arm over her waist and saying "Goodnight." Although disappointed, Blair adapted to the new situation and snuggled closer to Chuck. She smirked as she felt Chuck's arousal, glad that she had had some effect on him.

The next morning, Chuck and Blair were both woken by the light flooding in through the window. Chuck immediately sat up to shield his eyes, forgetting the fact that he was shirtless. Yet as he caught Blair's expression, he knew their was no need for him to be self-conscious.

"Morning Blair" he said huskily. Blair felt her insides melt at his voice.

"Hey you. Thanks for letting me crash here."

"I must admit, as much as I liked your dress last night, I think I prefer you wearing my shirt." He couldn't deny how sexy she looked, and he felt immensely pleased that she was wearing his clothes.

"Sure. Come on, time for breakfast." She grabbed his hands and forced him out of bed. He followed her to the kitchen, admiring the view from behind. The others were already assembled in the kitchen, Vanessa included.

"Morning you two" Serena chirped. "Nice shirt Blair. Anything we should know?" Chuck and Blair both looked down, blushing.

"No actually sis. All the beds were taken so Blair had to crash with me. Why did you even let Nate unpack in my room if you two were just gonna end up sharing anyway."

"Well if you and Blair don't mind being roomies, then that'd be great." Nate said hopefully. Blair and Chuck both made a pretence of being irritated at this convenience, yet secretly both were ecstatic. This holiday just got a lot better.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The girls decided that the best remedy for their hangovers would be to shop, so they immersed themselves in the colourful markets in Mexico. Vanessa wanted to take Dan to a small book fair she had heard of, so he disappeared for the whole day, leaving Nate and Chuck soaking up the sun on a private beach.

"So, you ever gonna tell me what happened between you and Blair last night?" Nate asked.

"Nothing. I'm not saying I didn't want to do anything, but nothing happened."

"Come on man, don't tell me Chuck Bass is getting soft and you just cuddled" Nate joked, but seeing the blush on his friend's face he realised that he was spot on. "Oh my god! You are so into this girl. When are you going to man up and tell her? Someone like Blair won't be on the market for much longer."

"You think I don't know that Nathaniel? I just - what if she doesn't feel the same way? That would ruin our friendship. I can't let that happen."

"Trust me, tell her. I think it'll be worth it in the end." Nate and Chuck then sat in silence as Chuck thought about this. Serena and Nate had obviously taken a 'divide and conquer' approach to the situation, as Serena held a similar conversation with Blair in the market town.

"So B, what did you and Chuck get up to last night? And don't say nothing because you were wearing his shirt."

"He thought I'd be more comfortable. We may have ended up cuddling…but that was it. It was nice though, really nice…" Blair trailed off at the memory, a small smile curving her lips.

"B, are you ever going to tell him that you have feelings for him?"

"Serena I can't. Not until I'm sure that he feels the same way. Chuck's too important to me to allow anything to ruin our friendship." Serena nodded and the girls continued, picking up trinkets on their way. The group had decided that they would meet up for dinner, so late in the afternoon they all made their way back to the villa. The girls could see Dan saying goodbye to Vanessa as they walked towards the villa, and as soon as she was out of sight they rushed up to him.

"Dan Dan Dan, how was your day?" they asked simultaneously, causing him to jump in surprise.

"Whoa calm down. It was great, actually. I really like her."

"Aww that's so sweet! Invite her out to dinner with us tomorrow" Blair said, as she and Serena planned ways that they could bond with the new girl. Dan just shook his head, but was secretly pleased that the girls were so happy for him. That night they had decided on a mellow barbecue on the beach, so the boys headed down earlier to meet the chef and grab a beer. It didn't take long for the girls to join them. Both were wearing pretty, floaty sundresses. Serena's was a turquoise which highlighted her eyes, and Blair's was a light pink which complimented her skin perfectly. Her hair was tied up in a loose bun, and Chuck thought she looked perfect. When Blair reached him she smiled shyly, allowing him to show her to her seat.

A light breeze came from the crashing waves, and Blair shivered in her seat. Chuck, seeing this, put an arm around her to warm her up. This didn't go unnoticed by all his friends, who sent smiles in his direction. As if it were the most natural thing in the world Blair leant into his side, and the two remained like that for the rest of the meal. Serena, Nate and Dan took the opportunity to put their plan into place, and claimed they were tired before running back to the villa. Chuck and Blair were left alone to enjoy the sunset. A comfortable silence settled upon them before Blair said,

"It's so beautiful" whilst gazing at the horizon. Chuck turned his face towards her and replied,

"Yeah, it is", never taking his eyes from her face. They decided to take a walk down the beach, allowing the waves to lap against their ankles. They talked about their days, about places they wished to go in the future, about everything really. That was until Blair splashed Chuck with sea water. They stood still for a moment, before Blair started to run away from Chuck, shrieking as he tried to spray her with water. It didn't take long until they were both soaked, and Chuck soon caught up with her, grabbed her waist her spun her in the air. Both were laughing their heads off as Chuck carried Blair deeper and deeper into the water, until he was waist deep. Despite Blair's best efforts, Chuck dipped her into the water so that when Blair resurfaced, her dress and hair were dripping wet. She was still laughing, yet when she looked back up at Chuck he was staring at her, with what she thought was lust in his eyes. He was captivated by the way the wet material of her dress clung to her body, and how her wet locks curled behind her shoulders. Blair was enthralled by the way the beads of water shimmered on his defined arms, and how his hair curled slightly. They were locked in each other's gaze. Chuck leaned forward to brush a curl behind Blair's ear, running his thumb across her cheek as he did so. Both tingled at the touch. They were so close that their foreheads were touching, and they slowly inched their lips towards each other. Chuck's lips were almost on hers when a large wave knocked them both over. When they regained an even footing, both realised what had almost just happened and an awkward atmosphere descended upon the beach. They walked in silence back up to the villa, and silently lay at opposite sides of the bed. Yet when they closed their eyes, both were dreaming of what would have happened next, and both enjoyed that dream very much.

When Blair woke up the next morning, she found that overnight she had inched closer to Chuck and folded herself into his side, with her leg thrown over his as well as her arm thrown over his muscular abdomen. She decided that it would be best if he did not know this had happened, so she left the bed to take a shower. Chuck immediately felt colder as the contact of Blair's body left him. He wandered into the kitchen where the guys were drinking juice.

"Morning all" he called, as they grunted replies. When Serena and Blair joined them, they were already dressed for a day at the beach, with cover ups and bags with towels, sunglasses and magazines. Dan had already filled them in on his plans for the rest of the day, so when he left the remaining foursome made their way to the public beach for the day. Although Blair had already seen Chuck in his boxers, she thought that seeing him in all his glory in the light of day was highly impressive. Chuck wore plain yet expensive navy blue board shorts. His muscles were well defined yet not overpowering, and Blair though that he should remain shirtless for a higher proportion of the time. As Serena shed her kaftan, Blair became slightly self-conscious. Serena was tanned and slim yet still maintained enviable curves. So as she slipped her cover up off, she did so quickly so as to get it over with. Yet Chuck was highly appreciative of Blair's attire. She wore a red bikini with, in his opinion, highlighted her assets perfectly. She was slender, petite and perfect. Her smooth, pale skin shone in the sun and Chuck had to sit down quickly to hide his body's reaction to Blair. Serena and Nate had choreographed it so that Blair's sun lounger was directly beside Chuck's though, so when she lay down their arms were brushing against each other. Both found it excruciating, to be so close yet unable to touch the other. As a distraction they threw themselves into beach activities such as beach volleyball and jet skiing. The group had a wonderful day and went to bed early, exhausted from the heat.

They spent the rest of the two weeks enjoying the sand and the surf. The girls spent some time with Vanessa, welcoming her as best they could despite the chip on Vanessa's shoulder regarding the Upper East Side. Serena and Nate took many romantic walks on the beach while Dan and Vanessa had dates, leaving Chuck and Blair alone. Although they never came close to kissing again, their connection grew deeper each day. They played cards, talked, listened to music, played mini-golf; they did whatever they could together. And both looked forward to waking up next to each other in the morning, wrapped in each other's embrace. Blair had never felt safer than when she was in Chuck's warm, protective arms. They returned to the Upper East Side tanned and toned, and Chuck with a resolve to confess his feelings to Blair. However, it seemed that the fates were conspiring against him as he discovered the day after their return.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Blair left early in the morning to catch up on practise at the hotel. She also had to say goodbye to Serena, who had been called away by work to Chicago for a couple of days. The boys all still had a day off work, so they were lounging lazily around the penthouse when the phone rang. Dan put down his book to answer it, knowing it was pointless to ask his roommates to stop watching the game.

"Hello?" he asked, bored.

"Hello, there is a visitor for Miss Waldorf here."

"Blair's at work, can the guy come back later?" Dan waited as the visitor conversed with the concierge, who quickly came back on the phone,

"The man has asked if he can wait for Blair in the penthouse. He says it's imperative that he sees her as soon as possible. He's a friends of hers from back home, he says". This caught Dan's attention.

"Ok, send him up." With that he hung up the phone and walked up to his friends. "Guys." They ignored him. "Guys!" he shouted.

"What?" the teens replied with an attitude usually reserved for annoying parents.

"There's someone coming to the penthouse as we speak. A friend of Blair's from back home." Both boys whipped their heads round and paused the game, just in time to the elevator welcome their guest into the apartment. They watched as an older guy, at least mid-30s walked into the apartment, greedily eyeing the expensive furnishings. His eyes feel upon the three young men and he smirked.

"Can we help you?" asked Chuck, taking an immediate dislike to the man.

"I'm here to bring my fiancee back home." the man replied bluntly. All three men widened their eyes in disbelief. Chuck felt like he had been punched in the stomach.

"Excuse me? I'm pretty sure we would know if our roommate was engaged" scoffed Nate.

"Well clearly you don't" the man replied in a condescending tone. "I'm not going to leave, before you ask. Why don't we wait for her and you can see for yourselves." And so an awkward wait commenced as the four men sat, waiting for Blair to confirm or deny the story. Chuck fixed a menacing glare on the older man before him, feeling his anger escalate quickly.

Blair was pleased with how her rehearsal had gone - it was again as if she had never stopped playing. As she walked into the penthouse, however, she immediately sensed that something was wrong.. Everything was far too quiet. She walked into the living space and saw her three friends sitting still as statues. "What's wrong?" she asked, looking around before her gaze fell upon the face of her nightmares.

"Aaron?" she whispered. Chuck, Dan and Nate all looked to her, sizing up her reaction. It was clear that she recognised him. Blair could almost feel Chuck's glare burning a hole through her head. "What are you doing here? I mean, how did you find me?" she asked, desperately trying to remain calm as she took out her phone to dial the police behind her back.

"Well love, I think you've had enough space. I'm here to take you back home" Aaron replied, his voice sickly sweet. Yet Blair knew all to well the threatening hardness that his eyes indicated.

"Yes Blair", Chuck chimed in, his voice thick with hurt, "your _fiance_ her has come to whisk you away. It's funny, you never mentioned you were getting married." Blair looked at Chuck and her heart broke at his broken expression.

"Guys, could you give me a minute alone with Aaron, please?" Dan and Nate looked shocked as Chuck jumped up,

"What? So it's true? You're not even going to deny it?" He stormed off to his room, but not before shooting glare a glower which expressed just how deeply she had hurt him. Dan and Nate were quick to follow, with Nate stopping by Blair and murmuring, "We'll be right in there if you need us." She sent him a quick smile before he left. Only her and Aaron remained.

"What the fuck are you doing her Aaron? You have no claim over me anymore, I'm legally and adult. You're not my guardian, and I am NOT your fiance, so you need to leave before I call the police." As Blair said this, Aaron had slowly made his way towards her, before reaching behind her to grab her phone. Blair tried to shout out but he clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Well well well, fighting back are we? Can't you see Blair, I love you!" Aaron moaned, his eyes taking on a crazed appearance. "I want you so much Blair" he continued as he stroked her face with his grimy hands. Suddenly he dropped her and began pacing the room. "Quite, a nice set up you've got here. You seem to like your new _friends_" he growled, his voice laced with jealousy and disgust. "Yeah, bet you've had a great time here you little whore. And let me tell you this, if you don't come with me, I will destroy each and every one of your little friends." Blair felt sick as she listened to him, but she couldn't let him see how afraid she was.

"Oh really? Because my friends happen to be very powerful, and you would have no chance. You 're just a sick, fucking twisted drug dealer. You are nothing, absolutely nothing." Blair's eyes began to brim with tears as her words hit home and her aggressor looked at her with a pained yet deadly calm.

"Oh Blair, my beautiful Blair," he began, again caressing her cheek as he held her slim wrists behind her, "you have _no idea_ what I'm capable of. Who do you think killed your father, huh? WHO DO YOU THINK DID THAT? ME!" she shouted into her ear. Blair began to sob and twisted to escape his cruel grasp. "And I'd do the same to your buddies through there, starting with lover boy" he finished. Aaron felt the moment that his words took effect as Blair slumped in his arms, defeated. "That's better, my love" he cooed. "Now first, you're going to put on this ring which you rudely threw away" he chastised jokingly, as if he had not just threatened to murder her friends. He stepped back and forced the ring in her hands, watching gleefully as her trembling hand placed the ring on her finger, with what she suspected to be a blood diamond at the centre. "Good girl. Now this wasn't just a fun trip for me, I'm here on business too. So I need to go to a meeting, but then we're going to take a trip. So you have about three hours to pack all your things and meet me outside the airport. And you're going to be smiling. Got it?" Blair nodded, resigned to her fate. As Aaron got up to leave, he turned to her and said, "Oh and Blair? If you're not there, if you're even a minute late, I have a friend in Chicago on standby waiting for my call to take out that blonde friend of yours." Aaron smiled as he watched Blair's face morph into shock as she recognised the reference to her friend Serena. "She's pretty, almost as pretty as you." He winked and Blair felt her stomach twist again. Blair cried silently as Aaron took her in his arms and planted a sloppy kiss on her lips. After that he left, leaving Blair to face the music. She knew that there was no point contemplating escape options; having learnt that Aaron had murdered her father, she knew that she couldn't risk Serena having the same fate. So she ran to her room, grabbed a suitcase and began to pack in a flurry of tears.

Dan, Nate and Chuck all heard of the ding of the elevator signalling their visitor's departure. They sat in silence for a moment. When they had first entered the room, Dan and Nate had had to put their best efforts into restraining Chuck and preventing him from punching all the solid surfaces in the room. They were all angry that Blair had kept this from them, yet Chuck was fuming. He felt betrayed by Blair, betrayed that she had actually led him to believe that she had feelings for him. At the ding of the elevator, he stormed out of the room before his friends could stop him. They looked at each silently, knowing that they would have to let the two have it out before they could do anything. Chuck entered the room whilst Blair was mid-packing, oblivious to his entrance.

"Going somewhere?" he snarled, looking around at the disarray of the room. Blair froze momentarily before forcing herself to continue. She had two hours left. "So you're engaged huh? Were you ever going to tell us? To tell me?" he continued. Blair ignored him, knowing that she couldn't look at him without her heart breaking. "It's funny, I thought we actually meant something to you. Clearly I was wrong." Blair turned at this.

"That's not true. I love you all, you know that. But I can't stay anymore. I have to go." Blair wiped a fallen tear from her face. This was a mistake. Chuck saw the glittering diamond on her finger, causing him to snap again.

"What the fuck, Blair? That guy is about twice your age, and you're running off to marry him? You obviously don't love him otherwise you wouldn't have run away from him in the first place? Tell me the fucking truth, for once!" he shouted. Blair turned away from him as more tears poured down her face, her packing almost finished. Chuck watched her helplessly, wanting to shout at her and wanting to make her stay at the same time. All of a sudden he came up behind her and turned her to face him, tilting her chin up with his finger so that he could look her in the eye. Both had tears in their eyes at this point.

"Come on Blair. I know you feel this too. Please don't leave with him." His voice broke on the last word as he pleaded with Blair.

"Chuck, I h-have to go. You are b-better off without me." She broke their faze and turned to zip up her suitcase as Chuck stood in disbelief.

"So this was all a joke to you? Have you been pretending to care about me, about all of us, this whole time?" he demanded, reverting to meanness to stop her seeing how much she had hurt him.

"No Chuck, it's not like that and you know it." She ran up to him and took his hands in her own, gripping tightly to them when he tried to take them away. "I don't expect you to understand, but I have to do this."

"Do you love him?" Blair looked up helplessly. "Do you love him? Because if you don't, then you are going to stay here and we'll sort this out. But if you do, I want you to leave and never come back." Blair knew that she had to lie to protect her friends, that she had to hurt the man before her to save him.

"Yes, I do. Goodbye Chuck." She kissed his cheek swiftly, repressing a sob as she grabbed her suitcase and ran out of the penthouse. Dan and Nate stood motionless as they watched the scene unfold. Chuck sat on her bed, utterly heartbroken and defeated. Dan went in to comfort him.

"I'm really sorry, man. I really thought she loved you." He wrapped his arms around his friend and let the great Chuck Bass cry into his shoulder. Nate meanwhile decided to call his girlfriend and ask for her advice. He told her all about how Blair's fiance, Aaron had turned up and that Blair had left to meet him.

"Holy shit Nate, we have to help her. You need to put me on the phone to Chuck, now. Blair is in serious danger." Nate rushed in with the phone and placed the phone in Chuck's hand. Chuck stared at him in confusion before lifting the receiver to his ear.

"I'm sorry sis, but I'm not really in the mood for a pep talk" he sniffed.

"Get over yourself Bass, this is serious. Blair is in danger. That guy is not her fiance." Chuck sat up and put the phone on loudspeaker as Serena told them everything Blair had told her. As the truth dawned on them, Chuck realised that he had sent Blair right into the trap.

"We have to find her" he said, as the three rushed out of the door, Chuck already dialling the NYPD.


	13. Chapter 13

**This will be the last update for a bit as I have lots of exams this week. Hope you enjoy and will try and update asap ****J**

Chapter 13

Chuck, Dan and Nate jumped into Chuck's limo, which immediately started speeding toward the police station. They were all focused on one thing and one thing only: saving Blair. Luckily Chuck had a lot of influence in Manhattan, so the case became a priority. Dan relayed to a detective all that Serena had told them; that the man's name was Aaron and he was a drug dealer. After a background search, the men discovered that Aaron was a lot more dangerous than they had previously thought. Aaron had been suspected to have killed Blair's father, yet no evidence could be found. Putting the pieces together Chuck realised why his PI hadn't been able to find any information about Blair - Aaron must have wiped all records about her so that no one could trace her to him. Knowing that Aaron was a murderer sent chills down Chuck's spine as he realised that Blair could be with him at that very moment.

"Chuck?" Chuck quickly snapped out of these thoughts and looked up. "This is Detective Reed."

"Mr Bass, I hear that you were the last person to talk to Ms. Waldorf. Did she give you any idea as to where she would be going?" Chuck racked his brains yet could not think of anything that would be helpful.

"No, I'm sorry. She just packed her things and left." Chuck didn't let the painful memory of their anguished fight resurface, only focusing on Blair and her safety.

"Ok, well we've actually had our eye on this Aaron character for a while, and now he's turned up on our doorstep. We received information last week about a gathering of all the big drug dealers which will take place in London, tomorrow. My suspicion is that he'll be at the airport, along with your lady. The next flight to London is in about an hour."

"Well then lets go!" roared Dan, already racing toward the door. The boys quickly followed, along with about ten armed police officers. The young men were piled into a police van which immediately set off at a high speed, swerving cars in its path. The detective turned around in his seat to stare at the teens.

"Right boys, I need you to listen carefully and follow these instructions. I don't want to risk him seeing you and doing something stupid, you're too recognisable. He'll know what's coming. I think our best bet is to isolate him with our guys, and then you can make sure your friend is ok. Got it?" The boys nodded, immediately adhering to the detective's authoritative nature. They arrived at the airport with half an hour to spare, so stayed vigil outside the main entrance, watching and waiting.

Blair lay her head against the taxi seat, thinking how stupid she had been to think she could escape Aaron. And now she had put her new family in danger. She shuddered, thinking of Aaron's all too real threat. It frightened her that danger had been so close to her boys, and that even Serena was in a bad position. So she was determined to make them forget her. Walking away from Chuck - lying to him - had been the hardest thing she had ever done. Making him think that she didn't love him had been more painful that every punch, every blow, every time Aaron had raped her. And as much as it crushed her, if her life was what she needed to give up to save Chuck, Serena, Nate and Dan, then she would sacrifice it willingly. She took a deep breath as she stepped out of the cab. There were twenty minutes left until her deadline. She walked up to the main entrance and stood in full view, knowing that Aaron would be hiding somewhere close by.

Chuck was startled when he saw Blair walking up to the entrance. "Detective Reed, that's her. That's Blair." The boys looked at him before turning to her, scrutinizing her to make sure she was alright.

"This is Reed. Look out for the target." Chuck looked around and saw Aaron making his way up to Blair. When he reached her, he grabbed her in his arms and kissed her. Chuck saw the way Blair tensed up, but could also see she was caged in his arms. "Ok, I see the target. Move in." As soon as Reed said it, men in black gear emerged from all areas to surround Aaron and Blair. Aaron, as soon as he realised what was happened, turned Blair around so that her back was to him, grabbed her neck and pulled out a gun. The world froze for a moment before Chuck regained his senses and ran out along with Nate and Dan. They hesitated behind the policemen, unwilling to get too close in case Aaron acted rashly. Chuck's heart pounded against his chest as he watched Aaron hold the gun up to Blair's head, who had tightly shut her eyes.

"Sir, put that gun down" shouted one of the policemen, as they held up their own guns. By this time a large crowd had assembled around the police.

"Why are you here?" Aaron wailed, desperately clinging to Blair. "We were fine, happy before you came." Blair was breathing shallowly, praying that someone would save her. She opened her eyes, and standing a few feet away from her was Chuck. She felt instant relief and immediately relaxed in Aaron's tight grasp. Aaron noticed this loss of tension, and looked around to find the cause of it. As his eyes found Chuck, his insides coiled with jealousy and fury. He saw Chuck smiling in encouragement to the beautiful girl in his arms. Looking around at the police, he knew that he had no chance. He bent his head towards Blair so that his lips grazed her ear. She shivered as he said, "I really did love you. But if I can't have you, no one can." Chuck saw Blair's face cloud with confusion, before she had a sudden realisation.

"No, Aaron, please!" she screamed as she began to squirm in an attempt to escape. The boys began to run towards her as the police closed in, but they were halted by a gun shot. Blair crumpled to the ground as Aaron darted into the airport, closely followed by the armed policemen. Chuck vaguely heard a gunshot from inside the building, but everything seem to be moving in slow motion. He stumbled his way towards Blair, who showed no sign of life. Dan and Nate were already at her side, watching in horror as blood began to seep through her shirt. Onlookers had rung an ambulance as they too watched the scene unfold. Chuck crawled towards her and took her face in his hands, brushing stray curls away from it.

"Come on Blair baby, wake up." He gently shook her, looking down to see the gunshot wound on her stomach. "Please, I need you, more than you'll ever know" he begged, new tears beginning to fall. He looked at his friends, his own tortured expression mirrored back to him on each of their faces, tears also running down their faces. When the ambulance arrived the paramedics had to drag Chuck away from Blair's motionless body. Not before he had touched a light kiss to her cold forehead and whispered, "Blair, come back to me. I love you." Dan and Nate supported their friend as they watched the bright lights of the ambulance fade into distance.

White. Everything in the hospital was unnaturally white. Bleach. The sterile stench which always accompanied hospitals. Chuck hated everything about them. Given that they him and his roommates weren't family members, the hospital staff had been reluctant to let them through. Yet when the Bass name was added to equation, all barriers were passed as the men stormed in the direction of Blair's room. Serena had jumped on the first flight from Chicago, and Lily was on her way. As they entered the room the boys stifled their gasps. Blair looked more frail and delicate than ever, her dark curls in stark contrast with the whiteness of her surroundings. Her skin was pale, and she was attached to numerous machines. The only indication that she was alive was the slow rise and fall of her chest. Chuck immediately took vigil at her bedside, placing himself in the hard chair and gingerly taking Blair's hand so as not to disturb the IV. Dan and Nate sat across from him, watching Blair silently. It was a while until the doctor came in.

"I understand that you are friends of Miss Waldorf, yes?" Chuck managed a strangled "Yes", never taking his eyes away from Blair.

"Well, you'll be happy to hear that her situation is not critical. She did well in surgery and should make a full recovery. It normally takes gunshot victims a while to wake up, and because of the anaesthetic I'm guessing that she won't start to come around until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. I don't want you to worry though, she's in good hands here." With that the doctor walked out, leaving the guys to contemplate Blair's condition. Although Chuck felt relieved that his Blair would be ok, he knew that his mind wouldn't be at peace until he could look into his eyes. Nate and Dan spent the next few hours coming in and out with food or coffee, bringing Lily and Eric at one point for a brief period. Yet Chuck remained, constantly at her side, as if his continued presence could force her eyes to open. It wasn't long until he drifted off, resting his head beside her on the bed.

Serena ran through the hospital, a blur of blonde. She shook a disgruntled Chuck out of sleep, clinging to him as she sobbed. Chuck was initially confused before he recognised his sister, and was unsurprised at her reaction.

"I-is she g-gonna be ok?" she managed.

"Yes sis, she'll be fine. With any luck she'll be waking up this afternoon." Serena calmed at that and sat beside Chuck, not letting go of his hands. She hung her head in shame.

"I'm s-so sorry Chuck. I wanted to tell you, I really did. But she made me promise not to - after everything that happened with Carter, after seeing the way you guys reacted, she didn't want you all to go through that. I'm sorry." Serena's shoulders shook slightly as she resumed her sobbing, before Chuck squeezed her hands lightly.

"Hey, it's not your fault. It's not anyone's, ok? You were just being a good friend to her." Chuck thought that if anyone was to blame, it was him. He had promised to keep her safe, and he had been unable to keep that promise. Serena, noticing his sudden change in demeanour, took her turn in squeezing his hands in comfort.

"She'll wake up, Chuck. You'll see." They sat for a while, before they were interrupted by a nurse.

"I'm sorry but I need to change the dressing on Miss Waldorf's wound. You're more than welcome to wait outside." Serena pulled Chuck up from his seat, forcing him to leave the room.

"Come on, she'll be fine. But I think that, while she's busy, we should go back to the penthouse and clean you up."

"I'm not leaving until she wakes up" he growled, his voice raspy from lack of sleep.

"And you'll be back in time for that. But do you really want her to wake up to a smelly, scruffy version of Chuck Bass? With stubble?" Chuck scratched his chin before realising that Serena was right - Blair would only work herself up if she knew how worried he had been. Arm in arm, the siblings swiftly exited the hospital and hopped into Chuck's waiting limo.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._ The incessant sound was getting louder and louder in Blair's ear. She could vaguely feel something pulling at her stomach, and then she definitely felt hands on her stomach. This caused her to flinch, her wound still raw from the attack. This sudden movement alerted the nurse to Blair's semi-conscious state.

"Miss Waldorf?" she inquired calmly. Blair's eyelids felt heavy, weighed down by god knows what. She struggled for a minute, until finally she was able to slowly open them. She immediately blinked at the bright lights above her, turning her head to gain some idea as to where she was. The last thing she remembered was Aarons foul breath in her ear…a gunshot…Chuck's face. Turning her head to the side, it was almost as if she could tell that he had been here. The nurse smiled at her, welcoming her back. But Blair was too busy thinking to acknowledge her. Aaron had shot her. If he had shot her, he must have been irate. And if had shot her, Blair had no idea what he could do to her friends to gain revenge. She needed to leave New York, to protect them. Her presence would only cause problems for them, put them in danger. She lifted herself up, grunting at the effort and the pain shooting through her abdomen. Looking round she noticed a neatly folded pile of clothes by the window. She lifted them up, smiling slightly as she detected a whiff of Chanel No. 5 which could only mean that Lily had left them. She quickly shut herself in the bathroom and changed, ignoring her wound as best she could. Blair realised that she would have to employ some sort of disguise, or distraction, in order to leave the hospital unnoticed. And she didn't have much time to do it. Luckily, the jumper Lily had left Blair had a hood. So she pulled it up over her head, and shuffled silently out of the room. The corridor was empty as Blair made her way to the nearest elevator. She could hear heels behind her yet kept her gaze fixed on the lift door, knowing that turning around would only give her away. It was not until she heard someone calling out that she realised it was the voice of her best friend, alerting hospital staff to Blair's disappearance. Blair breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator doors closed behind her. Once she walked out of those hospital doors, she wouldn't be able to taint the lives of her friends anymore.

As Chuck was relaxing in his limo on his return to the hospital, his momentary piece was broken by the shrill of his mobile. He lazily opened it before checking the caller ID. "Chuck, she's gone!" Chuck sat up at once.

"What do you mean she's gone?" he shouted.

"She just left! None of the staff saw her go, one minute she was there and the next she's nowhere to be found!" Serena sobbed.

"Hold on, I'm here now" Chuck reassured as he raced out of the limo. He was almost at the door when something caught his eye. A petite woman was walking on the pavement not too far from him with her hood pulled up. From the way she walked he could tell that she was in pain. As he inched closer, the wind blew a stray lock of hair behind her. And Chuck would recognise those curls anywhere. He casually walked up behind her and called out, "And where do you think you're going?" Blair stopped and turned slowly, knowing there was no point in trying to continue.

"I have to leave. Me being here only puts you all in danger." Chuck looked into her eyes and saw the deep sincerity there.

"Blair, Aaron's dead." This caused her to falter.

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"He's dead." Blair's face crumpled as she broke down, sobbing in relief. Chuck was immediately there to envelope her in his arms; what he had wanted to do ever since she had left the apartment the day before. "He can't hurt you anymore Blair. Never again" he whispered as he kissed her hair repeatedly. To onlookers it was a strange sight to see the pair wrapped in a tight embrace, crying in the middle of the street. Yet to Chuck and Blair it was a moment of perfection, suspended in time. Blair looked up at Chuck. "Chuck, I-"

"Shhh" he said as he put a finger to her lips, "there'll be time for that later." Blair nodded and the pair slowly made their way back into the hospital, much to the relief of Blair's friends.


	14. Author's Note

**Thank you for all the comments everyone. Just to clarify that this isn't the end of the story, I'm just too busy to update this week with exams. But I will definitely try to get you something by the weekend ****J xoxo**


	15. Chapter 15

**I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING. I cannot apologise enough - my GCSE exams only finished last week and then I went straight into work experience and I've waitressed every weekend so have had no time. But I am going on holiday next week and am still very busy so have decided to make this the last chapter. Thank you for all the reviews and favourite story/author alerts, I really appreciate it. Hope this lives up to expectations, and I will definitely be writing some more stories when I get back from holiday so don't forget me ****J**

Chapter 14

It was a few days until the doctors relented to Blair's pleas to go home. They thought that she still needed constant care which her friends were all too willing to provide. Blair had said very little after returning to the hospital with Chuck; she was bracing herself for the tale she knew she would have to tell. Her friends deserved nothing less. Nate, Chuck, Dan and Serena understood that Blair had been traumatised, yet couldn't help but find her silence unsettling. They were used to seeing a bubbly Blair, not the shell of the Blair that once was. As Serena supported Blair through the penthouse Blair kept her gaze levelled to the floor. She desperately wished to hole up in her room and spend some time alone, just so that she could fully process what had happened. Similarly to her first night in New York, she fell dormant as soon as her head hit the pillow. Although Dan, Nate and Serena had all agreed to take turn with night shifts, Chuck knew that it was all a pretence and that they would allow him to keep watch over her. Gingerly, so as not to wake Blair, he lay down beside her and placed a protective arm around her waist. The warmth of her body gave him the feeling of completeness he had been missing whilst she was strapped to her hospital bed. The warmth overtook him, glowed in his heart and eventually made him drowsy. He rested assured that Blair was safe in his arms once again.

Breakfast the next morning was a silent affair. It was clear that the New York natives were awaiting Blair's story, and that she was delaying it in whatever way possible. As she sat on her impromptu bed on the sofa, Dan came over to her and settled a calming hand on her slim shoulder.

"I know it's hard for you" he started, "but we're here. We don't want you to go through this alone, honey." Blair connected her eyes with his momentarily, and seeing the honesty there knew that it was time. Her friends gathered around her, each sending a soft smile of encouragement her way. Blair's gaze lingered on Chuck's the longest, wondering what he would think of her once he knew the extent of her past.

"Well, I'm sure that Serena filled you in on the basics that I told her" she began awkwardly, twisting her hands in her lap. "I thought the world of my father, and he was taken away from me. My mother coped by injecting herself with drugs and getting together with Aaron. Aaron used to hit her and convince her she wasn't good enough for anything, which made her depend on the drugs even more. Most of the times we are alone, she would look at me and I could see in her eyes that she didn't know me. Her eyes were dull - dead. I mean, she knew who I was, but she knew nothing about me. She couldn't see the way Aaron would leer at me, or how he would hit me…everything was clouded by the drugs. And then she died - her lifestyle finally caught up with her. Really, she died at the same time my father did, because from then on she was a completely different person." Blair allowed herself to ponder over memories of her mother for a moment whilst the other four shot hesitant glances at each other. How could they help her? Chuck was tense, knowing that the worst was yet to come. "Well, after that he took me away, isolated me from everything I knew. I was caged in the basement of some house. It was always dark, and I was so weak. Everything hurt. He would always tell me that he loved me and that it was all for my own good, and that one day we would get married and everything would be better," as she said this, tears started to fall down her cheeks, and Chuck wished for nothing more than to be able to kiss them away. "I wouldn't talk, I was basically a mute. When I did speak it was to insult him, and he didn't like that. He would hit me, kick me, on special occasions he'd even use his belt" she snorted as all three boys clenched their fists. "I think you can all guess the other stuff." An awkward silence hung in the air as everyone processed her words.

"Blair, we know how hard this has been for you, and we can't thank you enough for sharing it with us. But, why would you go to him, after everything? Why didn't you let us protect you?" Nate pleaded, tears sparkling in his eyes.

"Oh Nate, why do you think? When you guys left, I tried to get him to leave I really did. And that was when he told me that he'd killed my father. He told me he'd kill you three" she wept, raising her hand at the three men, "starting with Ch-Chuck. He told me that I had three hours to get the airport, but if I was even a minute late that he had a friend in Chicago trailing Serena and he'd kill her. I couldn't let that happen to you, to any of you. I figured that you guys were just fine without me before, so you could be fine again." By this point, the young friends were all crying earnestly, clinging to each other.

"Blair, we all thought we were fine until you came. But when you got here, it was suddenly like we found the missing puzzle piece we hadn't even realised we needed. You complete us, and I don't know what I'd do without you B" Serena stated, wrapping her best friend in a careful embrace. The boys watched as blonde blurred with brown, tan with porcelain, perfectly opposing each other. After the weight of Blair's confession, they decided that they needed to find something to lighten the mood. The rest of the afternoon found the group wrapped in blankets in front of an impossibly large screen, watching all the films that Blair had missed out on. They laughed until they cried, trying to forget and just be. Sometime during their third film, Chuck found that he much preferred watching Blair's reaction to the films than the actual films themselves. He adored the way her face lit up to the characters on screen, and the way she would fully immerse herself in the plot. He loved the way she would covertly glance at her friends to ensure that they were enjoying themselves, and not just watching the films for her benefit. He utterly worshipped the moments when her eyes would fall upon him, knowing that she could read his every thought.

It came as no surprise to the pair when the others tapered off towards the end of the night in their not so subtle attempts to give them 'alone time'. A film was playing yet it was on mute as Blair and Chuck turned towards each other. Silence reigned as they contemplated where to start. It was Blair who gathered herself first.

"Chuck, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I never meant for any of you to get hurt. You know I was lying - what I said about Aaron before I left - right?" She glanced up, her expression unreadable as she guarded her emotions.

"Part of me was convinced that you could never love him, but hearing you say it…it was like my heart was being physically torn apart, and stretched further every step you took away from me."

"I never wanted to leave you. I never want to leave you."

"Good, don't think I'm ever letting you further than 5 feet away from me. You're stuck here now!" he joked, eliciting a giggle from Blair which made his heart soar. "I know this is bad timing, you're still recovering and it will take a while for you to fully heal." Even though it appeared he was speaking about her wound, they both knew it was her emotional state he was talking about. "But I want to help you - no, I need to help you. I need you to be ok. I've had to live thinking that you weren't going to dead, and that is not something that can ever happen again" he growled with determination. "So I need you to be ok, and I need you to know that I love you. More than I ever thought was possible. I'm _in_ love with you. And it's ok if you don't want me, but I need you to tell me now" he gushed out in one breath, cautiously looking up at Blair with a carefully hopefully expression. A multitude of expressions crossed her face, before settling on a slightly perturbed expression which unnerved Chuck.

"Charles Bass, how _dare_ you insinuate that I wouldn't want you! That I don't love you back! Of course I want to be with you-"

"Wait wait wait. You love me too? Is that what you just said?" he interrupted, stunned.

"Yes you idiot, I love you! I've loved you for a while now, and I don't ever plan on stopping" she smirked as pure joy lit up both their faces. Their hands clasped together as a pleasant shock of electricity shot through them, charged even more by their confessions of love. Both found themselves leaning towards each other, as if gravity itself was willing them to be together. Chuck placed his hands through the soft curls he had been wanting to touch for so long, as Blair's daintier hands gripped his shirt to pull him closer. They tentatively put their foreheads together, their breaths falling upon each other's faces. Chuck broke the moment of intimacy first, closing the gap and brushing his lips with Blair's. The reaction was immediate - their lips moved together in seamless synchronisation, their tongues twirled of their own accord and both emitted moans which served to excite the other. When Chuck's unwillingness to injure Blair overpowered his wish to have his way with her then and there, he pulled away and opened his lustful eyes. Blair's eyes remained shut, her lips red and swollen from their kisses. It was an image which Chuck would never forget. Basking in their new found love, Blair settled against Chuck and allowed herself to fall asleep, knowing his mere presence would chases away any demons that may prey on her sleeping mind.

Their relationship blossomed, and progressed from strength to strength. The quintet were unbreakable, with a bond that grew deeper with each passing day. Serena and Nate were the first to tie the knot as their friends looked on with pride and love. Dan and Vanessa had a relationship with various ups and downs, yet it was the most real thing that either had ever experienced, and their love was strong.

As for Chuck and Blair, they were each other's everything. Chuck was the protector which Blair had yearned for during her years of captivity, and Blair was an angel who swept into Chuck's life and made it complete. They married, had children, and provided each other with the fairytale they both deserved.


End file.
